For several years, a debate has been raging among economists: is AI really taking our jobs, or are CEOs just using it as an excuse when they conduct layoffs that they would have done anyway?

There’s been endless back and forth on the topic, without much clarity. To be fair, it’s still a total morass — but we now have an interesting new clue that does seem to suggest that automation tech is really replacing certain jobs.

Back in 2024, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics identified 18 professions that it believed might be impacted by the “increased adoption of AI,” ranging from graphic designers to sales representatives to legal secretaries. Now, according to new data published by the bureau, it turns out that the number of people in those specific occupations did see an overall drop of 0.2 percent between May 2024 and May 2025. That’s not huge, but it’s something — and certain categories were stark, like a 4.8 percent decrease in sales reps.

Does this mean that AI replacement in the workplace is fully under way?

Not exactly. While it’s true that many companies are offloading staff due to a chilly economy, bots aren’t marching in to replace them. A report from Gartner recently found that although 80 percent of execs admit to eliminating staff to invest more in AI, it’s not paying off in any significant way. Data has also pointed to businesses seeing more benefits from giving their staff AI tools to boost efficiency, rather than laying them off altogether.

It may only be a matter of time, though, before companies figure out how to leverage AI and leave employees in the dust. Some researchers have already determined that AI could automate tasks carried out by 20 million American workers. Workers are certainly worried: about 71 percent of Americans are concerned that AI might permanently put too many people out of work.

On AI-related layoffs: Law Firm Sacks Hundreds of Employees Amid Pivot to AI