OpenAI, Google sign AI warning: Many jobs could soon disappear

More than 200 economists, executives and researchers have signed a public letter warning that AI could disrupt jobs within years. The statement urges governments and technology leaders to build safeguards and institutions before the economic shift accelerates.

In Short

• Experts warn AI could reshape the job market over the next decade
• The group says governments should start preparing now for AI's impact on jobs.
• Experts say AI could boost economies, but it could also leave many workers behind

It's not over yet. AI is already changing how companies hire and automate work, and has even been linked to thousands of job losses. But according to some of the people building the technology, the biggest disruption is still to come. More than 200 economists, executives and researchers, including senior leaders from OpenAI, Google and Anthropic, have signed a public letter warning that AI could bring much bigger changes to the job market over the next decade.

The 88-word statement, titled "We Must Act Now", was organised by the Stanford Digital Economy Lab. In it, the signatories warn that AI is likely to become "radically more powerful" over the next 10 years and could transform the global economy on a scale larger than the Industrial Revolution, but over a much shorter period.

In short, the experts say AI could deliver huge economic benefits, but only if governments act now. Without the right policies and safeguards, they warn, AI could lead to widespread job losses and leave many workers behind.

Here the group is not calling for AI development to slow down. Instead, it wants governments, economists and technology companies to better understand AI's economic impact and build the policies, institutions and incentives needed to ensure the technology complements human workers rather than replacing them.

Who has signed the letter?

The list of signatories includes some of the most influential names in technology and economics. Former Google chief executive Eric Schmidt, LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman, OpenAI chief financial officer Sarah Friar, Google AI leader Jeff Dean and Anthropic co-founder Jack Clark have all signed the letter. It also has the backing of more than a dozen Nobel Prize winners, including Joseph Stiglitz, Daron Acemoglu, Simon Johnson and Michael Spence, alongside researchers from OpenAI, Anthropic and Google, and academics from Stanford, MIT, Harvard, the University of Toronto and the London School of Economics.

Anton Korinek, a professor at the University of Virginia who helped organise the initiative with Erik Brynjolfsson, Ajay Agrawal and Tom Cunningham, said societies had decades to adapt to previous technological revolutions, but AI may not offer that luxury.

"Steam, electricity, and computers each gave societies decades to adapt. AI may give us only a few years." (Via Reuters)

Korinek added that waiting until AI's effects become obvious would be a mistake.

"We cannot improvise our strategy and institutions in the middle of the transformation; waiting for certainty means arriving too late."

The warning comes as researchers continue to study AI's real-world impact on employment. While there is still limited evidence that AI has directly caused widespread job losses, some studies suggest it is already changing hiring patterns.

Research from Harvard Business School, INSEAD and the University of Toronto found that many start-ups are hiring fewer entry-level workers and relying more on experienced employees, with AI helping smaller teams get more work done. Meanwhile, the International Monetary Fund says AI is still being used by only a small share of workers, meaning its impact has not yet spread across the wider job market.

Some AI leaders also believe the disruption could accelerate quickly. Anthropic chief executive Dario Amodei has previously warned that AI could eliminate up to half of entry-level white-collar jobs within five years. Others argue AI will transform jobs rather than replace them outright by automating repetitive tasks while creating demand for new skills.

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