The AI jobs bloodbath is grabbing headlines but theres a hidden boom unfolding

Every month, Washington gets a fresh count of the jobs artificial intelligence (AI) is eliminating.But nobody seems to be counting the number of jobs AI is creating.So far this year, employers have pointed to AI in more than 120,000 announced US job cuts, more than for any other reason.But nobody is counting the other side of the ledger.

And no one is counting the positive effect of AI in helping Americans start small businesses of their own.The biggest news, opinion and culture shaping California right now.

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Never miss a story The statistics aren’t hard to find.Americans filed nearly 18% more new business applications in the first seven months of this year than in the same stretch of 2025.

One in three laid-off Gen Z workers told Resume Genius they’re considering starting their own business.But if the only number Washington tracks is layoffs, the only policy we’ll get is damage control.We’ll see new rules written to protect the companies that already exist.I’m an entrepreneur who has started several businesses.

And before AI, it was much harder.Launching a consumer product the traditional way can still cost $50,000 to $250,000 before the first sale.

Most ideas die at the first factory quote.The ones that survive usually have money behind them.Think about who that leaves out.

The home cook whose hot sauce the whole block asks for.The nurse who knows exactly what’s missing from every hospital gift shop.

The laid-off product manager who has been sketching the same brand in a notebook for five years.Most of them will never find out if they were right.A good idea shouldn’t need a trust fund to get a fair shot.Now I’m watching that equation flip.

AI is helping tens of thousands of entrepreneurs, inventors and adventurers start their own businesses — at a fraction of the cost and incredibly quick...