Block’s layoffs look partly AI-washed

This week, we start by talking about the new wave of tech layoffs at Atlassian and Block, as well as reports that Meta plans to cut up to 20 percent of its work force. This raises the question of whether A.I. job loss has truly begun, or if there are other factors at play. Then, we’re joined by the writer Jasmine Sun to talk about why chatbots are still so bad at creative writing. And finally, it’s tokenmaxxing time! Kevin takes us behind the scenes of his latest reporting about why tech companies are building leaderboards to measure who is using the most A.I.

Guest:

• Jasmine Sun, journalist and writer at jasmi.news

Additional Reading:

• I Worked for Block. Its A.I. Job Cuts Aren’t What They Seem.
• Meta Planning Sweeping Layoffs as A.I. Costs Mount
• Meta Delays Rollout of New A.I. Model After Performance Concerns
• The A.I.-Washing of Job Cuts Is Corrosive and Confusing
• The Human Skill That Eludes A.I.

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