> ## Content Index
> Fetch the complete content index at: https://adjacent.media/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further.

# AI Layoffs Hit 50,000 in 2024—But Economics Favor Humans Still
- URL: https://adjacent.media/signals/ai-layoffs-hit-50-000-in-2024-but-economics-favor-humans-still/
- Published: 2026-06-01T16:11:54.000Z
- Updated: 2026-06-01T16:11:54.000Z
- Description: Companies are using AI as cover for cost-cutting that doesn’t pay off. When you account for retraining, integration, liability, and the human oversight AI still requires—especially in high-stakes functions—replacing a $70k employee with a $50k AI tool often nets zero savings and introduces new opera
- Author: Jonathan Greene
- Tags: #signal, theme-consumer, attention economy, creator economy, privacy

Source: [Scott Galloway & Ed Elson](https://open.substack.com/pub/profgmedia/p/is-ai-more-expensive-than-the-employees)

Companies are using AI as cover for cost-cutting that doesn't pay off. When you account for retraining, integration, liability, and the human oversight AI still requires—especially in high-stakes functions—replacing a $70k employee with a $50k AI tool often nets zero savings and introduces new operational risks. The shift is in narrative: corporate leadership claims innovation while workers absorb immediate pain, even though the financials rarely support the decision.