Sam Altman (샘 알트먼), OpenAI's chief executive, said some of the recent layoffs in the tech industry have no direct link to artificial intelligence but are being described by companies as driven by AI.

On May 5, IT outlet TechRadar reported that Altman criticised the trend as “AI washing” in an interview with CNBC-TV18.

Altman drew a line, saying the ongoing wave of layoffs should not all be grouped as caused by AI. He said some companies are linking restructuring or cost-cutting they would have carried out anyway to AI. He said many companies are blaming AI for cuts they would have made regardless.

Altman did not deny that AI itself will affect the job market. He said, “Within the next few years, the real impact of AI on jobs will start to be felt.” He said uncertainty remains high over what changes will emerge for companies and the labour market because AI adoption is still at an early stage, but over time it may become clearer which roles will be harder to sustain in the AI era.

His comments intersect with this year’s tech layoff trend. The number of people laid off in the tech industry in 2026 has surpassed 92,000. Many of those cuts were explained in connection with AI, along with productivity gains, efficiency drives and shifts in investment direction. Some also point out that portraying layoffs as driven by AI can work in companies’ favour because it can signal they are investing in future technology.

Altman said the market does not look only at headcount cuts and productivity. Investors react to a range of signals, and companies may have an incentive to package layoffs as a shift to an AI-centred strategy. As a result, the tech industry is likely to see a growing focus on distinguishing whether AI is a direct cause of layoffs or a justification attached to existing restructuring.

He stressed that new jobs will also emerge over the long term. Altman said, “We will find new kinds of jobs,” adding that AI will not leave only negative outcomes in the labour market. Last year, he also said a very difficult period could come in which entire categories of jobs disappear due to AI. At the same time, he said the world could become richer faster, making it possible to seriously discuss new policy ideas that would previously have been hard to consider.

Against that backdrop, Altman’s remarks carry two implications. In the short term, they suggest companies are overusing AI when explaining the reasons for layoffs. At the same time, over the medium to long term, the possibility is growing that AI will replace some roles and change the employment structure. The key issue will be whether companies use AI only as a rationale for cost-cutting or link it to genuine work restructuring and the creation of new roles.