How 'AI Efficiency' Became Cover for Corporate Over-Hiring

This article exposes a critical gap between what CEOs claim—that AI productivity gains justify layoffs—and what data actually shows: developers working with AI tools are slower, not faster. Most 2026 layoffs are really post-ZIRP headcount corrections being rebranded as AI-driven transformation for market optics. Understanding this distinction matters because it reveals how convenient corporate narratives win over honest explanations, and exposes the actual limited impact of AI on real engineering productivity.