TechCrunch Podcast Flags 22% AI Layoffs as CEOs Misjudge Jobs

5 articles · Updated · TechCrunch · May 29

Aaron Levie used TechCrunch’s Equity podcast to warn of “AI psychosis” among CEOs, arguing that executives deciding AI can replace workers often do not understand the jobs they are cutting.
A 22% workforce reduction at ClickUp for AI agents anchored that concern, while 2026 tech layoffs are already nearing the full-year total for 2025.
The episode framed the split between AI boosters and skeptics through other market signals, including rising DuckDuckGo installs from users resisting Google’s AI-heavy search results.
It also widened to where money is flowing in the AI buildout: Snowflake’s $6 billion five-year AWS deal, Stord’s $250 million raise at a $3 billion valuation, and OpenRouter’s $113 million funding round.
Beyond headcount cuts, the hosts said the AI-agent wave is reshaping hiring itself, while also weighing Waymo’s new Ojai robotaxi in Phoenix and the company’s path to profitability.

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