S4_SAM

#BlockAILayoffs Block’s "AI-First" Purge (#BlockAILayoffs) Jack Dorsey just sent shockwaves through the tech world by announcing that Block Inc. (the parent company of Square and Cash App) is slashing its workforce by 40%, cutting nearly 4,000 jobs. The "Why": Unlike traditional layoffs driven by financial distress, Dorsey explicitly framed this as a shift toward a "smaller, flatter" company where AI and "intelligence tools" replace human-led workflows. He noted that many companies are "late" to realizing that AI can do more work with fewer people. Market Reaction: Wall Street loved the efficiency play. Block’s stock surged over 20% in after-hours trading following the announcement, as investors anticipate massive margin expansion. The Sentiment: The move has sparked a heated debate online (hence the hashtag) about whether this is a visionary pivot or a cold example of "agentic displacement"—replacing human roles with AI agents.