In the months before Block CEO Jack Dorsey laid off 40% of staff on Thursday, workers were embracing AI tools in what one called an almost "celebratory" way. Dorsey and other company leaders had made no secret of their interest in AI, but the company was profitable, and some workers couldn't imagine the technology fully replacing humans at scale any time soon, they told Business Insider. Still, there were pockets of unease. Block, the parent company of financial tech firms including Cash App