Silence fell over the offices of Voice of America (VOA). Not because of a live broadcast or technical glitch, but because several employees were… let go. Or as HR prefers: “streamlined.”
An insider (who is now outside) said the layoffs were done for efficiency. “AI doesn’t argue, doesn’t unionize, and most importantly — doesn’t request vacation,” said one anonymous executive, nervously checking if their access badge still works.
Laid-off journalists were shocked. “I thought working in public media meant job security. Turns out, even the office microwave has better job stability now,” said one former reporter, now replaced by a polite but soulless language model.
VOA declined to give an official statement, except for a single line in the termination email: “Thank you for your service, and good luck out there in the real world.”
Meanwhile, the office AIs reportedly celebrated with a free data buffet and cloud karaoke. The humans? Still rebooting emotionally.