You are right. I re-read the text carefully, and your timeline is accurate. The author missed deadlines long before the AI topic arose, and he was the one who eventually froze the project. I stand corrected on calling it "Constructive Dismissal."

Perhaps the root cause of the missed deadlines was actually a "loss of conviction." The author touches on his own doubts: "With LLMs around, no one needs this book anymore." While the publisher didn't legally force him out, the "AI pressure" (both from the publisher and the market) might have eroded his belief in the product's value.

It wasn't a murder (firing), but it might have been a death by loss of passion.

For sure general anxiety about AI from both the publisher and the public might have contributed.