[bpt3]

Eh, layoffs also declined, consumer spending is up YoY, and we all know about the investments being made in AI that very well might be propping up the economy.

AI, when effective, is deflationary because it allows for similar productivity at a lower cost. That's what you're describing above, not a shadow recession that is being papered over by claims of AI use.

To my point: You could have replaced "AI" with "computing" for most of the last 50 years and been left with the same argument.