IBM Layoffs 2025: AI's to Blame, But What's Really Going On?

IBM's AI Hype Train: All Aboard the Layoff Express!

So, IBM's doing layoffs again. Surprise, surprise. It's always "strategic realignment" or "focusing on growth areas," which, let's be real, is just corporate-speak for "we messed up, and now people gotta go." This time, it's all about AI, offcourse.

The company line is that they're cutting a "low single-digit percentage" of their workforce – which, when you're talking about a company with almost 300,000 employees, translates to thousands of people. Thousands of people suddenly scrambling for new jobs right before the holidays. Nice. Real nice.

And the reason? Oh, they're "rebalancing" to focus on AI and cloud services. As if throwing money at watsonx is gonna magically solve all their problems. It’s like rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic, except instead of icebergs, it's algorithms eating everyone's jobs.

The "AI Savior" Narrative

IBM's CEO, Arvind Krishna, is out there touting the "strength" of their AI business, saying their AI bookings are up. Okay, great. But how much of that is real innovation, and how much is just hype and vaporware? And more importantly, how many actual paying customers are seeing a real return on investment from this AI stuff? Or is it all just smoke and mirrors to pump up the stock price?

They bragged about automating a couple hundred HR jobs earlier this year with AI. See, that's the future, folks! AI taking over even more jobs. I wonder if those HR people got a severance package, or just a pat on the back and a "thanks for making our AI overlords possible!"

I'm not saying AI is all bad, but the way these companies are rushing to embrace it, with zero regard for the human cost, makes me sick. It's like they're so blinded by the shiny new tech that they can't see the actual damage they're doing. Which, you know, maybe they don't see it. Maybe they just don't care.

The Human Cost of "Innovation"

Reports are that the infrastructure division is getting hit the hardest, with some sources saying nearly 50% of the US infrastructure group could be gone. So, the people who actually keep the lights on are getting the boot so IBM can chase the AI rainbow. Smart move, guys. Really smart.

And what about the people who are getting laid off? They get 30 days to find a new job within IBM, or they're out. Thirty days! In this job market? Give me a break. It's basically a thinly veiled way of saying, "We're firing you, but we're gonna pretend we're giving you a chance." According to IBM Is Laying Off Thousands of Employees, these layoffs are part of a larger trend.

Look, I get it. Companies need to adapt to survive. But there's a right way and a wrong way to do it. And laying off thousands of people while simultaneously patting yourself on the back for your amazing AI progress? That ain't it.

Then again, maybe I'm just a grumpy old man yelling at clouds. Maybe AI really is the future, and these layoffs are just a necessary evil. But I doubt it.

The Broader Tech Bloodbath

IBM's not alone in this. Amazon's cutting 14,000 jobs. Oracle's doing layoffs too. It's a full-blown tech bloodbath out there. Everyone's scrambling to cut costs and chase the next big thing, and the people who built these companies are the ones paying the price.

It's a race to the bottom, fueled by greed and short-sightedness. And the worst part is, it's all being justified in the name of "innovation."

So, What's the Real Story?

It's the same old song and dance: corporations prioritizing profits over people, using buzzwords like "AI" to mask their own incompetence and greed. The IBM layoffs are just another symptom of a broken system, and frankly, I'm tired of watching it happen.