Companies around the world are increasingly citing artificial intelligence when slashing jobs, fueling anxiety that a lot more workers may lose their livelihoods to machines.

Microsoft , Barclays Bank and supermarket chain Kroger are among the latest entries on a growing list of companies that have announced AI-related workforce reductions this year, including the elimination of jobs deemed redundant and positions shed to free up money for developing and deploying the technology.

But the job cuts of the AI era, which are affecting tens of thousands of people, occasionally have an epilogue.…