The chip exec who powered the AI boom says America’s $39 trillion debt is the same mistake that kills great companies

Anirudh Devgan, CEO of Cadence Design Systems ($90B+ EDA company), warned that America's $39 trillion national debt mirrors the cash-depletion dynamics that kill corporations. Speaking at the Great Place to Work summit, he critiqued "AI washing"—the misattribution of layoffs to AI efficiencies that may not materialize—and noted that while technology evolves rapidly, human decision-making patterns remain unchanged.