Companies Are Warming Up to Saying AI Is the Reason for Job Cuts

In late September, the German airline Deutsche Lufthansa AG told analysts and investors that it planned to eliminate 4,000 administrative positions by the end of the decade. Among the reasons it cited was “the increased use of artificial intelligence.”

Weeks later, Dutch lender ING Groep NV said nearly 1,000 positions were at risk from “digitalization, AI, and evolving customer needs.” And earlier this month, Krafton Inc., a South Korean video game company, said it intended to freeze hiring to focus on an “AI-first” approach to development.

For much of the AI boom, many companies shied away from attributing job cuts ...