Big Tech companies laid off over 80,000 employees in Q1 2026, nearly triple the 30,000 cuts in Q1 2025, marking the highest number in three years. Whilst many companies cite AI as the reason, experts suggest this may be "AI washing" — using automation as a scapegoat for deeper issues. In March, AI was claimed as the cause for 25% of US job cuts, though overall it accounts for 13% of 2026 layoffs. Meta announced plans to cut 10% of staff, whilst Microsoft offered voluntary buyouts to seven percent of employees. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman noted nearly every company conducting layoffs blames AI, regardless of whether it's actually responsible. Venture capitalist Marc Andreessen pointed to different culprits: rapid interest rate changes from pandemic-era zero rates to over 5% in 2023.

Julia Hartz, CEO of Eventbrite for two decades, has sold her company to Bending Spoons for $500 million and is now exploring her next chapter. Without a job for the first time since age 15, the 46-year-old entrepreneur is learning piano, playing chess with a robot, and experimenting with AI tools like Claude and OpenClaw. Hartz co-founded the ticketing platform after leaving MTV, leading it through nearly $350 million in funding and a 2018 IPO that initially valued it at $1.76 billion. However, the company struggled with profitability, particularly during COVID-19 lockdowns, prompting the decision to go private. The former CEO has joined the Live Like Braun Foundation's board and is considering various options, including internships to learn from other industries. She's also helping displaced Eventbrite staff find new opportunities.