‘They can do it for free’: Spike links AI surge to Seattle layoff increase
Jan 25, 2026, 5:05 AM
Following reports that Seattle’s unemployment rate has risen above 5%, faster than the national average, questions have emerged about whether AI-driven tech layoffs are contributing to the increase.
Jake Skorheim and Spike O’Neill, co-hosts of “The Jake and Spike Show” on KIRO Newsradio, discussed whether Seattle’s heavy concentration of tech jobs makes it especially vulnerable to AI-related layoffs.
“I buy into a lot of the tech stuff. I think AI is a culprit of some layoffs, but I would also say there are a lot of job opportunities in AI as well,” Jake said. “Do you think AI is taking jobs? Have we really gotten there this quickly with AI?”
“Oh, absolutely,” Spike responded. “Where is big tech investing these days? It’s in AI, it’s power. It’s in data centers, whether it’s Google, Meta, or Amazon, they have these big industrial farms that are just generating AI. These big corporations aren’t investing in AI because they don’t like the smell of their employees, which may be a factor, but it’s because they can do it for free.”
Watch the full discussion in the video above.
Listen to “The Jake and Spike Show” weekdays from noon to 3 p.m. on KIRO Newsradio 97.3 FM. Subscribe to the podcast here.
