A social media post by Milk Road has sparked debate online after it claimed that artificial intelligence is replacing jobs at mass scale across the United States.
The post came in response to comments by Jack Dorsey about job cuts at Block Inc., the payments firm he leads. Reports said Block would cut more than 4,000 roles, nearly half its workforce, as it restructures during a period of rapid AI growth.
Milk Road then published a long list of layoff announcements across major organisations. These included Amazon, Intel, Microsoft, Citigroup, Nissan and UPS. The post suggested that hundreds of thousands of roles were being eliminated as AI systems expand.
However, a closer look at company statements shows a more mixed picture. Many firms have cited cost cutting, weak demand, global uncertainty and restructuring after pandemic era hiring. Technology companies in particular expanded rapidly between 2020 and 2022 and have since reduced headcount to improve efficiency.
There is also no official confirmation of a single US government programme called DOGE cutting more than 300,000 federal jobs, as mentioned in the post.
Economists say AI is beginning to change how companies operate, especially in areas such as coding, customer support and data analysis. But they add that it is too early to conclude that artificial intelligence alone is responsible for most large scale layoffs.
Labour market data in the US continues to show hiring in healthcare, clean energy, infrastructure and advanced manufacturing. Experts say many workers may retrain, switch industries or move into roles that require human judgement and creativity.
The post reflects wider uncertainty about how quickly AI will reshape the workplace and whether new technology will create as many jobs as it replaces. Several users online reacted strongly to the ongoing shift toward automation and large-scale corporate layoffs, pointing to Block's decision to cut nearly half its workforce-after which the company's stock jumped 25% in a single day-as an example of how Wall Street values employees.
One user remarked that none of the major programs in the United States truly serve citizens, alleging that Capitol Hill funnels billions through questionable channels while social-media "actors" promote policies like mass deportations as beneficial.
Another commenter suggested it might be time for an app that filters companies based on how much human staff they retain versus how much work is handled by AI, adding that they feel guilty supporting corporations with minimal human involvement. According to them, AI should be a tool that empowers people, not replaces them.
