May 11, 2026
Pink slips, meet robot hype
GM just laid off IT workers to hire those with stronger AI skills
GM cuts hundreds of tech staff, and commenters say the real crash is in morale
TLDR: GM laid off about 600 information technology workers while hiring for more artificial intelligence-focused roles, showing how big companies are reshaping teams around the new tech craze. Commenters were mostly furious, calling it bad management, investor theater, and a morale-killing move that ignores training the people already there.
General Motors just cut more than 10% of its information technology staff — about 600 salaried workers — while making room for people with stronger artificial intelligence backgrounds, according to TechCrunch. On paper, GM says this is about “preparing for the future.” In the comments, though? People are absolutely not buying the corporate glow-up story.
The loudest reaction is pure disbelief: why fire experienced workers instead of training them? One commenter blasted the move as the “stupid approach,” arguing GM is tossing out institutional knowledge, crushing morale, and signing up for months of chaos while new hires learn how the company actually works. Another went even shorter and sharper: “They couldn’t be bothered to train their staff?” Ouch.
Then came the comedy. The article’s language about “AI-native workflows” and “agent development” triggered instant eye-rolls, with one commenter asking if this basically means “vibe coding.” That line pretty much stole the show. The community mood was a mix of confusion, suspicion, and sarcasm: some think this is less about building better systems and more about looking trendy to investors. One person flatly called it “shameless investor signalling.”
And perhaps the simplest drag of all came from the practical crowd: GM should worry less about buzzwords and more about making better, safer, cheaper cars. So yes, this is a staffing story — but in comment-land, it’s really a trust issue, a morale issue, and a giant flashing sign that AI hype has entered the layoff chat.
Key Points
- •General Motors said it laid off more than 10% of its IT department, affecting about 600 salaried employees.
- •The company is still hiring in IT, but for different skills centered on AI-native development, data engineering, cloud engineering, and model and agent development.
- •GM has reduced white-collar staff across several departments over the past 18 months, including cutting about 1,000 software workers in August 2024.
- •Sterling Anderson joined GM in May 2025 as chief product officer and has been involved in consolidating GM's technology businesses into one organization.
- •GM has added AI-focused leaders including Behrad Toghi as AI lead and Rashed Haq as vice president of autonomous vehicles.