Amazon recently laid off 14,000 employees as part of a cultural reshaping initiative, not for cost-saving or AI integration, according to CEO Andy Jassy. Speaking during the company's earnings call, Jassy emphasized the need for alignment with company culture and performance standards, highlighting decision-making slowdowns due to added organizational layers. The layoffs, which have incurred an estimated $1.8 billion in severance costs, follow a larger trend among big tech firms to streamline operations amid rapid AI advancements.