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The Cost of Autonomy: AI Agents Acting in Finance, Energy, and Jobs

VERIFIEDConfidence: 80%

Introduction

In January 2026, 108,435 American workers received layoff notices. Block, the payments company formerly known as Square, announced 4,000 cuts; its chief executive, Jack Dorsey, cited artificial intelligence directly as the reason. Amazon disclosed plans to eliminate 30,000 positions over three months. eBay cut 800 roles. Pinterest reduced...

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