No more avoidance! Corporate CEOs openly predict: AI will replace many white-collar jobs

American corporate CEOs, who once spoke ambiguously about the impact of AI on employment during interviews, are now openly predicting the large-scale layoffs that this technology may bring. According to a report by The Wall Street Journal on July 2, an increasing number of business leaders, from automakers to financial giants, are publicly stating that AI will significantly reduce white-collar jobs.

Ford CEO Jim Farley stated last week at the Aspen Ideas Festival that "artificial intelligence will replace literally half of white-collar workers in America." JPMorgan Chase Consumer and Community Banking CEO Marianne Lake also revealed to investors in May that the number of personnel in the company's operations department could decrease by 10% in the coming years due to the use of new AI tools.

These statements mark a significant shift in the attitudes of corporate executives. Previously, when asked about the impact of AI on employment, CEOs would typically avoid direct answers or emphasize that technological innovation has historically created new job opportunities.

Tech Giants Speak First

In addition to traditional industries, predictions from tech company executives are even more aggressive. Amazon CEO Andy Jassy stated in a memo to employees in June that due to the "once-in-a-lifetime" AI technology, the overall workforce size of the company is expected to shrink in the coming years.

Dario Amodei, CEO of AI company Anthropic, predicted in an interview with Axios in May that within one to five years, half of entry-level jobs could disappear, leading to an unemployment rate in the U.S. of 10% to 20%. He urged corporate executives and government officials to stop "sugarcoating" the situation.

Micha Kaufman, CEO of freelance platform Fiverr, wrote in a memo to employees this spring:

Whether you are a programmer, designer, product manager, data scientist, lawyer, customer service representative, salesperson, or finance professional, AI will impact you.

Some companies have begun to adjust their human resources strategies. Shopify CEO Tobi Lütke recently told employees that the company would not make any new hires unless managers could prove that AI could not perform a certain job. Companies like vaccine manufacturer Moderna have asked employees to launch new products or projects without increasing headcount.

Diverse Opinions Coexist

However, not all tech executives share a pessimistic view.

OpenAI COO Brad Lightcap stated last week on the "Hard Fork" podcast that he does not believe the impact on junior employees will be as swift and comprehensive as some predict. However, he acknowledged that job losses are inevitable and pointed out that any new technology will lead to changes in the labor market.

IBM CEO Arvind Krishna stated that the company has replaced hundreds of jobs in its human resources department with AI, but at the same time, has hired more programmers and salespeople.

AT&T CFO Pascal Desroches stated in an interview last month that there is still a lot of uncertainty about how AI will reshape work, and past technological revolutions have shown that new jobs often emerge