AI Washing and the White-Collar Transformation: What History Teaches Us
The AI Panic Narrative In February 2026, Block (formerly Square) announced large-scale layoffs, explicitly citing AI as the reason. The headlines wrote themselves: “AI is taking white-collar jobs.” Citron Research amplified the fear: white-collar unemployment could hit 10% by 2028, triggering a global financial crisis. The narrative is seductive. It’s also incomplete. What’s Really Happening: AI as Corporate Cover The “AI Washing” Phenomenon When Block announced AI-driven layoffs, critics noted an inconvenient truth: Block had overhired dramatically during the pandemic. This wasn’t AI replacing humans—it was executives using AI as plausible deniability for restructuring. ...