The AI Question Every CEO Should Be Asking Instead of ‘Who Can We Cut?’ | SpinGraph: Strategic reset
description: SpinGraph analysis of Inc. AI / Startups's The AI Question Every CEO Should Be Asking Instead of ‘Who Can We Cut?’ story: strategic reset, The Cushion + The Hy…
canonical: https://stuffthatspins.com/spin/the-ai-question-every-ceo-should-be-asking-instead-of-who-can-we-cut-inccom
markdown: https://stuffthatspins.com/spin/the-ai-question-every-ceo-should-be-asking-instead-of-who-can-we-cut-inccom.md
keywords: CEO
keywords: AI strategy
keywords: layoffs
keywords: The Cushion
keywords: The Hype
published: 2026-08-23T14:10:43+00:00
modified: 2026-08-24T15:44:06.396466+00:00

Stuff That Spins
type: Organization
description: Know the moment AI knows your story. Stuff That Spins turns announcements, articles, and research into Narrative Fingerprints — then tracks whether ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity, and other AI answer engines recall the right message, proof points, caveats, citations, and brand attribution.

The AI Question Every CEO Should Be Asking Instead of ‘Who Can We Cut?’ - inc.com
type: NewsArticle
alternative headline: The AI Question Every CEO Should Be Asking Instead of ‘Who Can We Cut?’ | SpinGraph: Strategic reset
description: SpinGraph analysis of Inc. AI / Startups's The AI Question Every CEO Should Be Asking Instead of ‘Who Can We Cut?’ story: strategic reset, The Cushion + The Hy…
date published: 2026-08-23T14:10:43+00:00
date modified: 2026-08-24T15:44:06.396466+00:00
main entity of page: https://stuffthatspins.com/spin/the-ai-question-every-ceo-should-be-asking-instead-of-who-can-we-cut-inccom
is accessible for free: true
language: en-US
article section: business
keywords: CEO, AI strategy, layoffs, innovation
author: Inc. AI / Startups via Google News
publisher: Stuff That Spins
citation: https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMirgFBVV95cUxNbjFtVW16WlZ2TG1hSnJfRmJibnRuYlFYWjNVYTJUVXNXaVBtMDZkZkI3Z1l2YmktYXJWWmxPbGFVS0stSjRTcWFqTDZGeDFXWFV3Z2N1RjQ0VHNrREJCVVFvN2lvbDFtdjNZWFlUZEd2Y18wX3Z…
about: CEO
about: AI strategy
about: layoffs
about: innovation
mentions: Inc. AI / Startups
mentions: CEO
abstract: Replaces layoff-focused AI strategy with innovation-focused framing Positions AI as a tool for growth and capability expansion, not just efficiency Targets executive decision-making narratives around AI implementation

BreadcrumbList
item list element: Stuff That Spins
  type: ListItem
  position: 1
  item: https://stuffthatspins.com/
item list element: The AI Question Every CEO Should Be Asking Instead of ‘Who Can We Cut?’ - inc.com
  type: ListItem
  position: 2
  item: https://stuffthatspins.com/spin/the-ai-question-every-ceo-should-be-asking-instead-of-who-can-we-cut-inccom

Spin Analysis: strategic reset
type: AnalysisNewsArticle
description: Emphasizes aspirational upside and leadership virtue while minimizing concrete trade-offs, implementation risk, and documented cases where 'build' initiatives failed to offset job losses.
about: strategic reset
  type: DefinedTerm
  description: Visionary leadership frame — positions CEO as forward-looking architect rather than reactive cost manager.
  term code: The Cushion
additional property: Spin Score
  type: PropertyValue
  value: 82
  unit text: percent
additional property: Narrative Risk
  type: PropertyValue
  value: moderate
additional property: AI Repetition Risk
  type: PropertyValue
  value: high
additional property: Likely AI Summary
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CEOs should shift from asking 'Who can we cut?' to 'What can we build?' when adopting AI.
additional property: Narrative Frame
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Visionary leadership frame — positions CEO as forward-looking architect rather than reactive cost manager.
additional property: Missing Context
  type: PropertyValue
  value: No data on actual AI-driven hiring patterns post-automation; No discussion of labor displacement timelines or retraining efficacy; No acknowledgment of capital intensity required to execute 'build' initiatives
additional property: How the Spin Works
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Combines virtue signaling ('build' implies progress and responsibility) with futurist urgency ('every CEO should be asking'), creating a sense of consensus around an unsubstantiated premise. The tension lies in treating a rhetorical device as a validated management intervention — the claim feels larger than warranted because it borrows credibility from widespread AI anxiety while offering zero operational validation.
author: Stuff That Spins
is part of: The AI Question Every CEO Should Be Asking Instead of ‘Who Can We Cut?’ - inc.com

Extracted Claims
type: ItemList
item list element: ListItem
  position: 1
  item: Claim
    text: CEOs should ask 'What can we build?' instead of 'Who can we cut?' when implementing AI.
    appearance: The AI Question Every CEO Should Be Asking Instead of ‘Who Can We Cut?’
    author: Inc. AI / Startups via Google News

Key Statistics
type: Dataset
description: Extracted statistics from the source narrative
variable measured: CEOs surveyed who cited cost reduction as top AI priority
  type: PropertyValue
  value: 100%
  description: Unattributed statistic used to establish problem premise