While everyone is immersed in the beautiful fantasies brought by AI, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei poured cold water on the optimism, directly dropping a stunning prophecy: in the coming years, AI will massively replace white-collar jobs, potentially pushing unemployment rates to 10-20% in one fell swoop! This isn't alarmist; it's an “internal alert” from the forefront of AI technology.
Recently, Dario Amodei, CEO of Anthropic, made astonishing statements in an interview. He bluntly pointed out that, contrary to widespread optimism, AI is highly likely to massively eliminate entry-level white-collar jobs within the next one to five years, leading to soaring unemployment. He believes that most people are completely unaware of this, and as a technology producer, he has a responsibility to reveal this harsh reality.
- Sharp Insight One: AI Replacing White-Collar Jobs – It's Not the Future, It's Happening Now!
Amodei's warning is not unfounded. He explicitly states that white-collar professions in technology, finance, law, and consulting, especially entry-level positions, face the risk of widespread disappearance. This is no longer a distant sci-fi scenario; it's a current reality. We are seeing AI's role in businesses rapidly shift from “enhancement” to “automation”—directly replacing jobs. This year's booming Agent (AI agent) technology, though still imperfect, has shown astonishingly rapid progress; if you count on your fingers, its advancement in just one year has been swift as the wind! Even more alarming, I've written several articles this year about companies adopting AI, and it's striking how many CEOs have explicitly stated: “Before hiring, please answer why AI cannot do this job?” This means companies are significantly reducing their headcount (HC) internally through AI. You thought AI was coming to help you work; instead, it's taking your job! - Sharp Insight Two: AI's Pace of Change Far Exceeds the Industrial Revolution – No ‘Transition Period' for Us!
Amodei acknowledges that AI technology will certainly bring a host of benefits, such as curing cancer and boosting economic growth by 10% annually. However, he also frankly points out that this could come with 20% of people losing their jobs. He emphasizes that AI's speed will be much faster than the First Industrial Revolution; unlike previous technological shifts, it won't provide people with ample transition time. As a technology producer, Amodei says he has a responsibility and an obligation to tell everyone what will happen truthfully. He believes that people are completely unaware of this, and most AI startups are optimistically stating that AI will increase employment, but are they telling the truth? Behind this “optimistic lie” lies public apathy towards potential risks. - Sharp Insight Three: Tech Giants Are Already Acting, The Alarm Bell Has Sounded!
Don't think job automation is a distant prospect. Mark Zuckerberg predicted in January this year that 2025 would see a dramatic shift in software engineering, with AI reaching the programming level of a mid-level software engineer. Interestingly, Meta later announced layoffs. This is no coincidence! Other tech giants beyond Meta are also moving in this direction. To help the public better understand AI's impact on the job market, Anthropic is now doing something important: publishing a monthly AI Economic Index Report to specifically and thoroughly track corporate AI adoption and which jobs are affected. The report can be found on Anthropic's official website, demonstrating their responsibility as technology producers to society. Amodei is not the first to warn about AI's impact on employment; LinkedIn's Chief Economic Opportunity Officer Aneesh Raman also stated earlier this month that AI is increasingly threatening jobs that have traditionally provided a growth ladder for young people. Anthropic's latest model is already very strong at coding. While some professional programmers still find them unsatisfactory, I want to remind you that it's been less than a year since Cursor gained widespread attention. Anthropic explicitly states that they have found ways to further iterate the model's programming capabilities. We need to be vigilant about this!
Therefore, the AI wave isn't a question of “if it will come,” but “it's already here,” and its impact is far deeper and faster than we imagine. We can no longer sleep in the illusion that “AI is just an auxiliary tool”; we must face the reality of it “replacing jobs.” As individuals, we need to consider how to enhance our indispensability; as businesses, we must consider how to embrace AI efficiency while also fulfilling social responsibility.