Job losses from AI are here now, and Ford’s CEO thinks “literally half” of white-collar jobs are at risk
What used to be cautious optimism in tech is now turning into blunt warnings from CEOs across industries: AI is coming for white-collar jobs, and the cuts could be deep, according to a new Wall Street Journal report.
At an event last week, Ford CEO Jim Farley said AI will replace “literally half” of all white-collar jobs in the US. Meanwhile, Marianne Lake, CEO of Consumer & Community Banking at JPMorgan, recently projected a 10% cut in operations headcount over the next five years due to AI tools.
Executives have historically downplayed job loss fears, emphasizing AI’s role in augmenting human work rather than replacing it. But now, many admit it could dramatically shrink workforces — with some companies consolidating roles or expecting employees to do more without increasing headcount.
Fiverr CEO Micha Kaufman recently shared a “wake-up call” in an X post: “It does not matter if you are a programmer, designer, product manager, data scientist, lawyer, customer support rep, salesperson, or a finance person — AI is coming for you.”
Shopify CEO Tobi Lütke has paused hiring unless managers prove AI cannot perform the job.
Amazon CEO Andy Jassy anticipates a smaller corporate workforce due to AI.
Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei has warned that AI could wipe out half of all entry-level white-collar jobs within the next five years.
ThredUp CEO James Reinhart predicts AI will “destroy more jobs than the average person thinks.”
Moderna merged its tech and HR teams in May, with CEO Stéphane Bancel saying earlier that the pharma giant can maximize its output “with a few thousand people” thanks to AI tools.
Klarna’s push into AI has seen it slash its workforce by ~40%.
Still, some tech leaders argue that while job displacement is real, fears may be exaggerated — and that AI-driven efficiency gains could also create demand for new skill sets.
Related reading: Big Tech isn’t hiring like it used to, unless you say the magic words
At an event last week, Ford CEO Jim Farley said AI will replace “literally half” of all white-collar jobs in the US. Meanwhile, Marianne Lake, CEO of Consumer & Community Banking at JPMorgan, recently projected a 10% cut in operations headcount over the next five years due to AI tools.
Executives have historically downplayed job loss fears, emphasizing AI’s role in augmenting human work rather than replacing it. But now, many admit it could dramatically shrink workforces — with some companies consolidating roles or expecting employees to do more without increasing headcount.
Fiverr CEO Micha Kaufman recently shared a “wake-up call” in an X post: “It does not matter if you are a programmer, designer, product manager, data scientist, lawyer, customer support rep, salesperson, or a finance person — AI is coming for you.”
Shopify CEO Tobi Lütke has paused hiring unless managers prove AI cannot perform the job.
Amazon CEO Andy Jassy anticipates a smaller corporate workforce due to AI.
Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei has warned that AI could wipe out half of all entry-level white-collar jobs within the next five years.
ThredUp CEO James Reinhart predicts AI will “destroy more jobs than the average person thinks.”
Moderna merged its tech and HR teams in May, with CEO Stéphane Bancel saying earlier that the pharma giant can maximize its output “with a few thousand people” thanks to AI tools.
Klarna’s push into AI has seen it slash its workforce by ~40%.
Still, some tech leaders argue that while job displacement is real, fears may be exaggerated — and that AI-driven efficiency gains could also create demand for new skill sets.
Related reading: Big Tech isn’t hiring like it used to, unless you say the magic words
