Latest news with #jobdisplacement
Forbes
3 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
Too Many Leaders Are In Denial About AI's Job Displacement Threat
Too Many Leaders Are In Denial About AI's Job Displacement Threat There's been no shortage of news about recent workforce changes and even layoffs as a result of AI. Perhaps most famously, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy wrote in a message to employees: "As we roll out more Generative AI and agents, it should change the way our work is done. We will need fewer people doing some of the jobs that are being done today, and more people doing other types of jobs. It's hard to know exactly where this nets out over time, but in the next few years, we expect that this will reduce our total corporate workforce as we get efficiency gains from using AI extensively across the company." Sundar Pichai, CEO of Alphabet and Google, speaking on a recent earnings call about AI, said, "But beyond that, all the way from the Finance team preparing for this earnings call, to everything, it's deeply embedded in everything we do. But I still see it as early days, and there's going to be a lot more to do." IBM has reportedly eliminated around 8,000 positions, including a large number in HR, while CEO Arvind Krishna noted that the company has been aggressively adopting AI and automation. Joining the list of notable companies with AI-related layoffs are Microsoft, Intel, Meta, CrowdStrike, Salesforce, Dell, and more. Now, technology companies are, not surprisingly, the ones making headlines, but the impact of AI is being felt far beyond the tech industry. Dario Amodei, CEO of Anthropic, an AI powerhouse, recently told Axios that AI could wipe out half of all entry-level white-collar jobs and spike unemployment to 10-20% in the next one to five years. Aneesh Raman, chief economic opportunity officer at LinkedIn, recently wrote that "While the technology sector is feeling the first waves of change, reflecting A.I.'s mass adoption in this field, the erosion of traditional entry-level tasks is expected to play out in fields like finance, travel, food and professional services, too." But here's where the story takes a troubling turn. While CEOs and industry leaders are publicly acknowledging AI's transformative impact on employment, a comprehensive new study from Leadership IQ reveals that the vast majority of business leaders may be living in denial about what's actually coming. The AI Readiness 2025 study, which surveyed 1,251 executives, directors, and managers across diverse industries, uncovered a striking paradox that should alarm anyone concerned about organizational preparedness. Despite nearly 80% of business leaders now personally using AI tools—a dramatic surge from just two years ago—a staggering 56.4% either don't expect AI to replace employees in their organizations over the next three years or remain completely uncertain about it. Let that sink in for a moment. More than half of the decision-makers responsible for steering organizations through the AI revolution either don't see job displacement coming or have no idea whether it's coming at all. AI Readiness 2025 Study The breakdown is even more revealing: 35.9% of leaders flatly don't believe AI will replace employees, while another 20.5% simply don't know. Only 43.6% acknowledge that AI will likely lead to job displacement, with just 12.8% expecting a "significant number" of replacements and 30.8% anticipating a "small number." What makes these findings particularly concerning is their consistency with our 2023 baseline study. Despite nearly three years of unprecedented AI development since ChatGPT's launch, despite the public statements from tech CEOs about workforce reductions, and despite widespread personal experience with AI tools, leadership attitudes about AI's employment impact have remained remarkably static. This isn't simply a case of cautious optimism—it's a potentially dangerous case of what researchers call "optimism bias," where decision-makers systematically underestimate the likelihood and severity of negative outcomes. When Andy Jassy tells his employees that Amazon will "need fewer people doing some of the jobs that are being done today," but 56% of business leaders don't expect job displacement in their own organizations, we have a fundamental disconnect between industry reality and leadership perception. The implications are staggering. If the majority of business leaders are unprepared for AI-driven workforce changes, their organizations will be caught flat-footed when those changes accelerate. Employees will receive inadequate warning and retraining opportunities. Strategic planning will be based on flawed assumptions. And companies may find themselves scrambling to adapt when competitors who took AI's impact seriously begin to pull ahead with leaner, more AI-integrated operations. Perhaps most telling is that this skepticism extends to leaders' views of their own roles. Despite using AI tools daily and seeing their capabilities firsthand, 46% of business leaders either don't believe AI will impact their own jobs or remain uncertain about it. This personal blind spot may be fueling the broader organizational denial. It's a classic case of "it won't happen to me" thinking, amplified across entire leadership teams. If executives can't acknowledge that AI might transform their own roles—roles that often involve strategic thinking, analysis, and decision-making that AI is increasingly capable of supporting or even replacing—how can they realistically assess the impact on their organizations? This leadership disconnect creates a "preparation crisis." While AI capabilities continue expanding at breakneck speed, the majority of organizations may be operating under the assumption that significant workforce disruption isn't coming—or at least isn't coming soon. The contrast with forward-thinking leaders couldn't be starker. When Dario Amodei warns that AI could eliminate half of entry-level white-collar jobs and spike unemployment to 10-20% within five years, he's not speaking hypothetically. Anthropic is at the forefront of AI development, and their CEO has a front-row seat to what's coming next. Yet our study suggests that most business leaders either haven't internalized these warnings or don't believe they apply to their organizations. This isn't just concerning—it's potentially catastrophic for organizational competitiveness and employee welfare. Despite these concerns, there is a glimmer of hope. A recent PwC report found that workers with AI skills command a 56% wage premium. And given how few people have advanced AI skills, it's really not that hard to elevate your AI skillset quickly and stand out from everyone else. As Amazon's CEO put it in his memo, "Those who embrace this change, become conversant in AI, help us build and improve our AI capabilities internally and deliver for customers, will be well-positioned to have high impact and help us reinvent the company."
Finextra
7 days ago
- Business
- Finextra
Irish bankers concerned about job displacement through AI
The vast majority of employees in Ireland's financial services believe that the rise of AI will lead to job displacement across the industry, according to a recently released survey. 0 This content has been selected, created and edited by the Finextra editorial team based upon its relevance and interest to our community. The survey, conducted by the Financial Services Union (FSU) and thinktank TASC, found that 88% of respondents are concerned about job displacement, while less than 3% disagree with the sentiment. Furthermore, the concerns are becoming more intense - more than half (59%) are less optimsitic about the imapct of AI on their job stability than they were five years ago. In addition, the study also found widespread unease at how AI is being employed within their two-thrids (62%) are concerned about the impact of bias on decision-making processes whiloe a similar number (61%) are uneasy about the use of AI in hiring , firing and promotion decisions. More than half (59%) are also concerned that AI may be used for employer/manager surveillance while 57% cited the potentially negative impact of AI on customer experience. The study also highlighted a widespread lack of training for using the technology - 43% said that they had not received any training and were unaware of any plans to do so. As the report states: "It is incumbent on employers to provide training to employees and to make it easily accessible and releavnt to their position." According to John O'Connell, FSU general secretary, the report is indicative of the concerns it is hearing from workers acorss the sector on a weekly basis. 'The use of artificial intelligence is expanding at an alarming rate across the financial services sector, and it is incumbent on all key stakeholders to ensure AI is used for the benefit of workers and consumers," he said. "It is evident that workers feel unprepared and have justified concerns about the role that AI could possibly play in the future." "Ireland has a responsibility to be at the forefront of a fair and responsible AI transition - one that safeguards rights, promotes inclusion, and shares the benefits of innovation," said Molly Newell, lead researcher at TASC. "A just transition means placing workers at the heart of decision-making. That includes ensuring collective bargaining, preventing bias andintrusive surveillance by employers, and providing meaningful upskilling opportunities." Failure to put such measures in place risks deepening existing inequalities, warned Newell. Some progress has been made. According to the FSU, it has struck an agreement with Bank of Ireland that commits the bank to collectively bargain any changes to employment conditions that may occur due to the expansion of AI. Other reports have made similar points about potential job displacement and a lack of training. A survey published in May by Boston Consulting Group found that only in four firms have progressed from pilots and proof of concepts to fully implement the technology into their daily operations.
Forbes
24-06-2025
- Business
- Forbes
92 Million Jobs Gone: Who Will AI Erase First?
By 2030, an estimated 92 million jobs will be displaced by AI. By 2030, an estimated 92 million jobs will be displaced by AI, according to the World Economic Forum's Future of Jobs Report 2025. These job losses will not impact everyone equally—research indicates that Black and Latino/Hispanic workers are more vulnerable to AI-related job loss because these groups of workers are overrepresented in roles more likely to be replaced by automation and AI. Although AI has the potential for good, left unchecked, it may further exacerbate racial and economic inequalities in the workforce. While 92 million jobs may be lost due to AI, the same report indicates that 170 million new jobs will be created because of AI, with the jobs expected to see the most growth including farmworkers, delivery drivers, construction workers, salespeople and food processing workers. The jobs most at risk include cashiers and ticket clerks, administrative assistants, caretakers, cleaners and housekeepers. According to a 2023 McKinsey report on the impact of generative AI on Black communities, Black Americans 'are overrepresented in roles most likely to be taken over by automation.' Similarly, a study from the UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Institute indicates that Latino workers in California occupy jobs that are at greater risk of automation. Lower-wage workers are also at risk, with many of these jobs being especially vulnerable to automation. The jobs most at risk include cashiers and ticket clerks, administrative assistants, caretakers, ... More cleaners and housekeepers. Black, Latino and low-wage workers are not only overrepresented in jobs that will be vulnerable to automation—they are also underrepresented in AI and tech roles, which were projected to see the most growth in 2025, according to LinkedIn's Jobs on the Rise list. The Black tech talent gap persists, according to a 2023 McKinsey report, which revealed a lack of Black representation in the fastest-growing tech roles. A 2024 Axios article highlighted the lack of Latino representation in tech—a problem that starts as early as grade school. The lack of Black and Latino representation in tech can be attributed to several different factors: a lack of exposure to technical career options, a lack of resources for skill development and networking, a lack of access to mentorship opportunities, being overlooked or steered away from STEM fields due to bias, and feelings of imposter syndrome and inadequacy. A lack of diversity in tech and AI can have deleterious impacts on the field. Issues like algorithmic bias, which is already pervasive in many hiring and recruitment tools, may be exacerbated by a lack of representation. A homogenous team creating tech tools may be less likely to recognize the need to create with different lived experiences in mind. For example, a lack of representation on a tech team could result in overlooking that a facial recognition system has a higher error rate for darker skin tones. A lack of diversity can lead to missing red flags during the creation of tech and AI systems which can lead to unintentional discrimination. Employers must consider how the rise of AI could further intensify existing disparities. Specific systems must be put in place to address these issues, such as the development of workplace programs focused on attracting and retaining underrepresented tech talent. Creating opportunities for apprenticeships, building community partnerships, and hosting job fairs for those from historically excluded backgrounds can all be useful strategies. Workplaces must prioritize equity and justice not as nice-to-haves, but as essentials to remain successful and sustainable long-term. AI should be developed with intentionality and with an understanding that equity is not an add-on, but a requisite for organizational viability.
Entrepreneur
19-06-2025
- Business
- Entrepreneur
Humans + AI: Why Collaboration -Not Replacement- Is the Future of Creative Work
Despite fears and AI anxiety - the opportunity is clear, especially in a region that is investing heavily in AI as a core pillar of its future. Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. You're reading Entrepreneur Middle East, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media. Will artificial intelligence (AI) replace us? That's the question echoing across society – and for good reason. The rise of generative AI began as a thought experiment, but is now a headline-dominating reality. What was once theoretical is now showing up in job descriptions, creative briefs and national strategies. AI can design, write, speak and even reason, to a degree. And with each leap forward, our existential unease grows. Are we building tools to assist us, or replace us? Is this empowerment or obsolescence? The fear isn't just economic – it's philosophical. What happens to meaning, to value, when a machine can do the work we once thought defined us? And it seems these concerns are well founded. Goldman Sachs estimates that generative AI could disrupt up to 300 million jobs globally. A 2024 Pew Research Center study found that over half of US professionals believe AI will eventually replace their roles. And according to the Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Government, 55% of Dubai government employees express concern about AI displacing jobs. Across the creative industry, we see AI tools bring instant solutions for tasks that used to require days or weeks of coordinated effort across entire teams. Design, writing, marketing and media workflows are being reshaped - by AI that can spin out brand identities or video ads on demand – raising real questions about the future of the creatives. The tension is real. The tech is real. So is the fear. But like many tech-driven fear cycles before, we believe this take is oversimplified. Not wrong – but warped. The replacement narrative is based on a misunderstanding of what creative work really is, and on a misreading of how AI actually works when paired with humans. The core of creativity isn't production - it's interpretation. About knowing when to follow the rules and when to subvert them. It's about tone, timing, subtext and culture. It's the difference between a campaign that "looks good" and one that actually resonates. AI can mimic form, but it doesn't understand emotion. It can produce content, but it can't grasp context. And inspiration – the unpredictable spark that drives originality – doesn't come from a dataset. It comes from experience. This isn't nostalgia talking. It's backed by data. Research from MIT Sloan shows that humans and AI each excel in different areas – and it's indeed not always more powerful for them to work together. But in some fields, man and machine collaboration brings us superpowers. In creative fields such as design, writing and content, teams that paired AI with human input consistently outperformed those using either alone. "When the task requires creativity and the generation of novel ideas, human-AI collaboration tends to deliver the best outcomes," the study concludes. The future isn't about replacement. It's about rebalancing. AI has a place in creative work. Used right, it is a powerful accelerant. But we need to follow this logic: Let machines do what they do best: draft, iterate, generate at scale. Let humans decide what matters, what lands, what's worth sharing. As a founder working in the high-speed world of media and web3, I have tried multiple AI tools. And every time, it's the same: Fast output, but always needing to be second guessed. Sometimes the first draft is good. Often, it's generic. It might say the right words, but perhaps not in the right way or the right order. That last 20% – the difference between done and effective – is where human judgment still reigns. That's the principle and model behind my latest project - Hum(AI)n Assets, a Dubai-based creative production platform. Our goal is to combine generative AI's rapid production capabilities with the irreplaceable creative judgement of human professionals, streamlining content creation without sacrificing quality. Our clients submit a brief, choose a deadline and budget, and we deliver high-quality creative assets - images, videos, copy - fast. The AI handles the heavy lifting; our human team polishes it to perfection. The difference is not just speed - it's trust. We eliminate the long feedback loops and high costs of traditional agencies, but also avoid the flat, soulless output that often comes from AI-only solutions. Our hybrid model gives users the best of both worlds: the momentum of automation and the integrity of expert craftsmanship. Collaboration, not replacement. And that's not just theory. Our early users are already seeing results. Brands and creators on our early access list are discovering how Hum(AI)n Assets can help them build content faster, skip unnecessary meetings, and tell their stories better. The platform adapts to their workflow - whether they're running a campaign, building a brand, or just need content done by tomorrow. Despite fears and AI anxiety - the opportunity is clear, especially in a region that is investing heavily in AI as a core pillar of its future. The UAE has positioned itself as a global AI leader, with PwC projecting AI to contribute $96 billion to the national economy by 2030. With initiatives such as the recently announced AI campus, potentially the world's largest - it's clear that the UAE is aiming to become a global leader in AI. But with that scale comes responsibility. We must do our part to build collaborative workflows where output is optimized, but also human dignity, purpose and contribution is protected. AI will indeed transform every industry it touches. The creative field just happens to be one of the first to feel it. The last time we saw a shift like this was the rise of the internet – when content became instant and global, and distribution outpaced editorial control. AI is doing the same, but faster. If left unchecked, it could flood every feed with sameness, strip out nuance and reward quantity over quality. But used right – designed thoughtfully – it will give creators superpowers. Reduce burnout. Expand access. Speed up good ideas without flattening them. We're not afraid of the future. But we are determined to shape it.
News.com.au
19-06-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
Amazon CEO announces AI may replace workers within a few years
Now Playing Amazon's Chief Executive has told white-collar staff at the company that artificial intelligence could complete their jobs within a few years. The need for fewer employees comes as generative AI systems, such as chatbots, are able to carry out more tasks autonomously. The e-commerce giant employs one and a half million people worldwide, and more than 350 thousand people are working in corporate jobs.
