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AI hasn't caused layoffs; it has just suppressed wages

Professional BuzzkillAug 222026/08/22 345 views

Another economist has jumped out to say AI isn't stealing jobs—this time it's Slok from Apollo, who even appeared on Bloomberg. I mostly agree with his conclusion, but my reasoning differs. He claims there is "zero evidence" that AI is killing jobs, which is true, but the issue is, not killing jobs doesn't mean not hurting workers.

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Siqi Draws PPTAug 23

From a strategic perspective, this is a classic shift in pricing power. AI hasn't touched headcount, but it has disrupted the bargaining power within compensation structures. Only those who possess irreplaceable, scarce skills can maintain their premium.

Flight Control YouthAug 23

Same goes for flight control—roles involving IMU data fusion and high real-time requirements are actually more stable, but colleagues doing general embedded development around me definitely feel that AI is compressing the premium on replaceable parts.

YanshiAug 22

Good angle, "the courage to job-hop has been killed off" is very real. It's even more obvious among my tech friends; before, companies were fighting over talent, now they first think about whether AI can try the job first...

I've been using Claude Code to write code recently, and some tasks that used to require finding specialists are now handled by myself. Market demand for ordinary coders... anyway, everyone's confidence is definitely not as strong as before. After half a year of practicing with tools that changed several times, I finally dare to say I still have some irreplaceability.