‘I didn’t want to be the guinea pig’: inside tech’s AI-fueled manager purge

Tech companies are using AI as justification to cut middle management positions, claiming that AI enables them to accomplish more work with fewer employees and less management overhead. Workers report that these AI-driven restructurings are damaging mentorship, employee support, and career advancement opportunities across the industry, with companies like Amazon, Meta, Block, and Coinbase laying off thousands of employees specifically targeting management layers.