Dario Amodei, chief executive officer (CEO) of the global artificial intelligence (AI) corporation Anthropic, warned that a large-scale unemployment crisis could occur within a few years due to AI technology.
CEO Amodei said in an interview with CNN on the 29th (local time) that “AI is improving beyond humans in nearly all intellectual tasks, and particularly, more than half of entry-level office jobs could disappear.” This means that the unemployment rate in the United States could rise to as much as 20%, which is similar to the levels during the COVID-19 pandemic.
He believed that AI could significantly boost productivity while also causing chaos in the labor market. He emphasized that not only simple jobs but also highly educated professions are at risk of being replaced, and the current retraining or job transition strategies might not be sufficient to address this. Consequently, he indicated that policymakers should consider taxing AI corporations.
This warning is notable not just as a simple prediction but as a reality that is already underway. According to a recent survey conducted by the World Economic Forum (WEF), 41% of global employers responded that they are planning workforce reductions due to AI adoption by 2030. Some experts believe that AI will replace specific tasks rather than entire jobs. However, CEO Amodei noted that while AI has focused on assisting human work until now, it has been rapidly shifting to automation.
Anthropic recently unveiled an AI model capable of working continuously for over seven hours without human supervision. This model can independently handle complex tasks and has been praised for enhancing the practicality and efficiency of AI. Amodei pointed out that while AI technology can have positive impacts, urgent social preparedness for its side effects is necessary.
Technology futurist Tracy Palos analyzed to CNN that “Amodei's remarks carry strategic purposes beyond a public warning, including reputation management, securing policy influence, and strengthening market position.” He added, “Even if the unemployment rate spikes in the future, Anthropic can claim they have warned about it.
CEO Amodei stated that “This technology cannot be stopped,” and noted that it is time for the general public to learn to understand and handle AI. Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, and Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft, also recently mentioned that a significant portion of their company’s code is being written by AI, suggesting that the phenomenon of AI replacing jobs is already a reality.
The impact of AI on the job market remains highly uncertain. Some believe that AI will only replace specific tasks and that humans will focus on jobs requiring creativity and complex judgement. However, the majority of experts agree that it is now time to prepare for the economic impact of AI.
Anton Korinek, a professor at the University of Virginia, expressed concern, stating, “Until now, technology has eliminated jobs but has also created new ones. However, this time intelligent machines could take on that role as well.”
CEO Amodei remarked that “AI will contribute to positive fields such as healthcare,” and emphasized that “a social system capable of controlling harms alongside technological advancement is necessary.”