The recent corporate layoffs were not caused by AI.

Judge as of March 2026 whether the wave of recent corporate layoffs was caused by AI. The claim is categorical ('can't have been AI'). True: credible analyses and layoff trackers show AI accounted for no meaningful share of the cuts, with company AI attributions shown to be pretexts and the cuts driven by other factors (overhiring, interest rates, cost cutting, tariffs). Mostly true: AI was explicitly and credibly the cause of only a small share (under about 10% of announced cuts), with the main drivers elsewhere. Mixed: AI was one of several significant drivers (roughly 10–30% of cuts, or analysts were divided). Mostly false: AI was a substantial, documented driver of a large share of the layoffs. False: AI was the leading documented cause.

Set before the research began.

1. E1 March 2026 CHALLENGER REPORT Challenger, Gray & Christmas · 2 April 2026

   “In March, Artificial Intelligence (AI) led all reasons for job cuts, with 15,341 announced during the month, 25% of total cuts.”

2. E2 March 2026 CHALLENGER REPORT Challenger, Gray & Christmas · 2 April 2026

   “So far in 2026, Market and Economic Conditions lead all reasons year-to-date with 45,103 cuts, followed by Restructuring with 37,916, Closings with 37,405, and Contract Loss with 31,817. AI ranks fifth year-to-date with 27,645 cuts, or roughly 13% of all job cut plans.”

3. E3 AI tied to a quarter of US layoffs in March CFO Dive · 2 April 2026

   “Artificial intelligence was the leading cause of U.S. layoffs announced in March, accounting for roughly a quarter of the total, outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas said in a report Thursday.”

4. E4 AI Restructuring Or A Cover Story? Five Warning Signs For Executives Forbes Business Council · 26 October 2026

   “In the employment context, “AI washing” is when a company blames layoffs on AI to disguise cuts driven by cost pressures, an ordinary reorganization or, in the worst cases, unlawful discrimination or a breach of an executive’s contract.”

Challenger's March 2026 report says AI was the top stated reason for job cuts that month, at 25% of announced cuts (E1, E3). For 2026 through March, AI ranked fifth at about 13% of announced cuts, behind market conditions, restructuring, closings and contract loss (E2). E4 describes "AI washing", where companies blame layoffs on AI to hide other causes, but it gives no figures for how often this happens. The evidence puts AI's share within the 10–30% band the criteria define as mixed, so it contradicts the claim that the layoffs "can't have been AI" but does not show AI was the main driver of the layoff wave overall.