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- Nvidia’s billionaire CEO Jensen Huang says ignoring AI may be a one-way ticket to unemployment, with the tech set to unquestionably impact every job. But embracing AI could send 40 million people back to work—a message that’s in stark contrast to other CEOs, like Anthropic’s Dario Amodei, who are predicting massive unemployment in less than five years.
If you’re worried about generative AI replacing your job, get in line.
Even tech CEOs like Nvidia’s Jensen Huang are sounding the alarm bells about the technology’s impending impact on the job market. But the thing that workers fear most could also be their saving grace.
“Every job will be affected, and immediately. It is unquestionable,” Huang said at the Milken Institute’s Global Conference earlier this month. “You’re not going to lose your job to an AI, but you’re going to lose your job to someone who uses AI.”
In fact, the 62-year-old billionaire predicted that AI will help reverse the global talent shortage and technology divide by putting 30 to 40 million workers back into the workplace. Everyone learning to use generative AI will be the secret to increasing global GDP, he said.
“I would recommend 100% of everybody take advantage of AI,” Jensen added. “Don’t be that person who ignores this technology and as a result, loses your job.”
Fortune has reached Nvidia for comment.
Tech CEOs are divided over AI’s impact on jobs
Not every tech leader is in agreement with Huang. In a bold prediction earlier this week, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei said that half of all entry-level white-collar jobs could be eliminated within the next five years, leading to soaring unemployment levels.
“Cancer is cured, the economy grows at 10% a year, the budget is balanced—and 20% of people don’t have jobs,” he predicted to Axios earlier this week.
“We, as the producers of this technology, have a duty and an obligation to be honest about what is coming,” Amodei added. “I don’t think this is on people’s radar.”
Just last week, Anthropic released its most powerful AI models yet—ones that rival OpenAI and Google—and include what’s self-described as “the world’s best coding model.”
This may not be exciting news for some software engineers, in particular, who have already felt the impacts of AI’s ability to replace coders. In fact, one former software engineer—who lost his job last year and has been unable to find new work, even after submitting 800 applications—told Fortune it’s turned into an existential crisis for part of the tech industry.
At the same time, there remain tech leaders who aren’t as cynical and agree more with Huang: that AI will enable job creation more so than loss. For example, billionaire Mark Cuban took to Bluesky yesterday to push back on Amodei’s claim.
“Someone needs to remind the CEO that at one point there were more than 2 million secretaries,” Cuban wrote. “There were also separate employees to do in-office dictation.”
“They were the original white-collar displacements. New companies with new jobs will come from AI and increase total employment.”
This story was originally featured on Fortune.com
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