Chilling AI prediction: A Mad Max-like future for jobs may be coming; top economist warns
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is reshaping our world in profound ways—from improving medical diagnostics to powering chatbots and self-driving cars. But not all of its impacts are positive. In a Business Insider interview on the 'Possible' podcast, MIT economist David Autor sounded a serious caution: AI could turn our labour market into something resembling a Mad Max wasteland. While this doesn't mean total job loss, it does mean something equally alarming—the devaluation of once-valuable skills, pushing many into poorly paid work with limited advancement, as reported by Business Insider.
This warning comes amid broader studies, such as a Salesforce projection that up to 23% of the workforce could be redeployed due to AI in the next two years (Business Insider, citing Salesforce). The underlying concern is clear: AI may not take jobs outright, but it could severely undermine what makes work valuable.
Autor's analogy to Mad Max warns of a world where technology runs rampant and wealth concentrates at the top. Instead of liberation, AI could exacerbate income inequality and leave most people scrambling for low-end service roles. This article explores Autor's caution, what's driving this concern, which sectors are most vulnerable, and why intentional design and workforce planning are critical to avoid an AI-driven dystopia.
Why AI may devalue skills, not just eliminate jobs
Autor argues that the threat AI poses is more subtle than mass unemployment. Instead of taking jobs, it may strip roles of their expert value, turning once-specialised skills into commodities.
How skills become obsolete:
Automation of routine tasks
: Industries like typing, factory work, and taxi driving saw initial waves of automation. With AI, even roles requiring moderate skill—like legal document review or marketing analysis—are now at risk.
Commoditised skills
: Resources like touch typing were once prized. Once AI can perform those actions without fatigue or error, such skills lose their edge.
'The threat… is not running out of work, but making the valuable skills that people have highly abundant so they're no longer valuable,' Autor explained.
The 'Mad Max' comparison: What it means
Autor's bleak vision is inspired by the Mad Max universe—a world marked by scarcity, brutal competition, and centralised power. He sees an economic parallel: AI empowers a few, while the majority struggle.
Concentrated gains
: Wealth and influence accrue to companies and individuals who own AI systems.
Downshifted labour
: Workers may be forced into low-paying, low-skill roles like cleaning, food delivery, and basic services.
Wage pressure
: With AI handling high-value tasks, remaining jobs lose bargaining power and income potential.
How many people could be affected?
A Salesforce study cited by Business Insider estimates that 23% of the global workforce may be redeployed in the next two years due to increased AI adoption. This includes changes in roles, responsibilities, or sectors.
While not everyone will lose their job, many may find themselves working in different, less lucrative positions—a dangerous shift that Autor warns could erode societal well-being if not managed.
Sectors at risk and which might survive
Most at risk
Administrative and clerical roles: Invoice processing, scheduling, data entry.
Transport and logistics: AI-driven navigation, sorting, and delivery systems.
Retail and service: AI-operated ordering kiosks, stock management.
More resilient areas
Healthcare
: Physicians and nurses require empathy, human judgment, and trust.
Education
: Teaching, mentoring, and social-emotional learning.
Creative fields
: Art, film, and design rely on originality and human creativity.
Complex caretaking
: Therapy, social services, and community-based support.
Autor emphasises these roles as critical to ensuring AI serves humans, not the other way around.
What Autor says should be done
Autor recognises the potential for AI to enhance human capabilities—but only if implemented thoughtfully. He urges:
Design with purpose
: Choose paths where AI complements human efforts, especially in healthcare, education, and social care.
Policy foresight
: Governments and regulators must steer AI development to avoid creating 'resource wars' over remaining low-skill jobs.
Investment in people
: Focus on helping workers transition—not just with new skills but also with basic income support and social protections.
'The future is not a forecasting exercise—it's a design exercise,' Autor said, as reported in Business Insider.
He insists the AI future must be built deliberately, not left to chance.
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