AI could wipe out 50% of entry-level jobs: Anthropic CEO
What's the story
Dario Amodei, the CEO of AI company Anthropic, has reiterated his prediction that artificial intelligence (AI) could eliminate nearly half of all entry-level white-collar jobs in the next five years. He also warned this could push unemployment rates to between 10% and 20%. The statement comes amid a growing debate over the potential impact of AI on employment, with some tech leaders supporting Amodei's view while others like NVIDIA's Jensen Huang and OpenAI's Sam Altman have rejected this view.
Job impact
Amodei identifies sectors at risk from AI
In a recent CBS News interview, Amodei reiterated his concerns about job loss due to AI. He specifically pointed out entry-level consultants, lawyers, and financial professionals as some of the white-collar service industry jobs that could be impacted. "AI models are already quite good at many of the tasks these professions perform," he said. "Without intervention, it's hard to imagine there won't be some significant job impact there."
Rapid change
Amodei warns of rapid AI transformation
Amodei also warned about the speed of this transformation, saying it's coming "incredibly quickly." He expressed concern that people may not have enough time to adapt to these changes. The Anthropic CEO also highlighted the lack of transparency around AI model risks, warning it could lead to repeating mistakes made by cigarette or opioid companies that knowingly sold dangerous products without taking preventive measures.
Intelligence leap
AI's potential to surpass human intelligence
When asked if he thinks AI will outsmart humans, Amodei said yes. He believes it will be smarter than most or all humans in most or all ways. However, he also acknowledged that not everything about AI can be predicted. His San Francisco-based start-up is concerned about the economic impact of AI, its potential misuse, and even losing control over these models.