The next jobs downturn could mean an AI-induced purge of millions of workers

In the next job market downturn—whether it's already starting or years away—there just might be a bloodbath for millions of workers whose jobs can be supplanted by artificial intelligence. In the last several economic cycles, recessions have been a period in which companies opportunistically ramped up their use of automation to lower their long-term need for workers. If that pattern holds, AI-driven productivity gains and job losses are likely to be more severe in any bumpy period for the overall economy. If the recent soft jobs report and negative revisions turn out to be an early warning sign of a broader labor market downturn, this moment of rapid technological change could make it particularly painful.