Ex-Google Executive Warns of AI-Driven Job Apocalypse by 2027

Ex-Google exec: The idea that AI will create new jobs is '100% crap' -- even CEOs are at risk of displacement

Mo Gawdat speaks at BoF VOICES 2022 at Soho Farmhouse on November 29, 2022 in Chipping Norton, England. Mo Gawdat, former chief business officer at Google X, the company's innovation lab, says AI is likely coming for your role -- whether you're in the C-suite or an entry-level worker. The idea that artificial intelligence will create jobs is "100% crap," Gawdat said Monday on the "Diary of a CEO" podcast, using his own AI startup, Emma.love, as an example. He and two other software experts built the app with the help of AI, a project that would have required "350 developers in the past," he said. Gawdat has worked in tech for over 30 years. He was in the C-suite at Google X for almost five years tackling major problems facing humanity, like energy, climate change and internet access. Even the jobs you may think require humans will be eliminated, including video editors, podcasters and executives, said Gawdat. Bill Gates has predicted that doctors and teachers will also be replaced in the coming years. Those who have the most promising outlook are professionals who are the best at their jobs, said Gawdat, author of "Scary Smart: The Future of Artificial Intelligence and How You Can Save Our World." But even they won't be safe forever. Artificial general intelligence is "going to be better than humans at everything, including being a CEO," said Gawdat. "There will be a time where most incompetent CEOs will be replaced."

AI doom countdown begins: Ex-Google exec warns AI will unleash hell, to wipe out white-collar jobs by 2027

Former Google executive Mo Gawdat warns that artificial intelligence will trigger significant job losses, particularly in white-collar sectors, starting around 2027. He predicts a challenging period before AI potentially leads to a utopian future, emphasizing the urgent need for regulations and initiatives like Universal Basic Income to mitigate inequality and social unrest. Big warning from former Google executive Mo Gawdat - He said artificial intelligence (AI) will cause massive job losses and big problems for society starting in 2027. Gawdat called the next 15 years "hell" before any good times came, as per The Diary report. Gawdat was once the Chief Business Officer at Google X and now runs a startup called Emma.love, which uses AI for emotional and relationship support. He said only 3 people run Emma.love now, but earlier it would have taken 350 developers. That's how powerful AI has become, as stated by a Business Insider report. He even said podcasters like the one he spoke to will be replaced by AI too. Gawdat warned that white-collar jobs -- like office workers, analysts, lawyers, even coders -- will start disappearing by the late 2020s. He said middle-class workers will be hit hard, unlike past revolutions that mostly affected manual laborers, as per the New York Times report. ALSO READ: Trump praise sends American Eagle stock soaring 20% amid Sydney Sweeney ad controversy Gawdat, who became a millionaire at 29, said AI will create huge inequality unless it's regulated properly. He warned that the rich (top 0.1%) will get richer, and everyone else will struggle -- "There is no middle class...you're a peasant." The social impact will be serious -- people will feel lost, more lonely, and mental health issues will rise. Gawdat said a "utopia" could come after 2040, when humans are free from boring, repetitive work. In that future, people might focus more on love, community, and spirituality instead of just money and buying things. But he stressed that governments and businesses need to act now, with ideas like Universal Basic Income (UBI), to help people during the change. He said the future depends on how we regulate AI, give fair access, and add moral values into AI systems. "Our last hurrah as a species" could be how we choose to humanize and adapt to this AI world, Gawdat said, according to the report by New York Times. Gawdat's warnings are backed by other big names -- Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei said there could be a "white-collar bloodbath" soon. He said half of entry-level office jobs may vanish within 5 years, as stated by Business Insider report. ALSO READ: Under pressure from Trump, Apple and Samsung should heed this ex-CEO before making phones in the US The World Economic Forum says 40% of employers plan to cut jobs due to AI. Harvard researchers estimate that 35% of office work is now easy for AI to do. Job cuts are already happening - Challenger, Gray & Christmas says over 27,000 layoffs since 2023 were because of AI, as per the report by New York Times. Goldman Sachs and McKinsey say AI could add trillions to global GDP, but... the IMF warns this will make inequality worse if not handled right. MIT and PwC analysts also fear wage crashes, job loss, and social unrest if governments don't act fast, according to the report by Business Insider. Q1. When will AI start replacing white-collar jobs? AI is expected to begin replacing many white-collar jobs by the late 2020s, around 2027. Q2. How can governments help people affected by AI job losses? Governments can support workers by creating policies like Universal Basic Income (UBI) and regulating AI fairly.

Ex-Google executive predicts a dystopian job apocalypse by 2027: 'AI will be better than humans at everything... even CEOs'

Mo Gawdat predicts AGI will surpass human capabilities, potentially replacing even CEOs. He dismisses the notion of AI creating jobs. Gawdat envisions a future with universal basic income. He warns of a dystopian period by 2027 due to mass unemployment. Tech leaders have divided opinions on AI's impact. Gawdat fears AI could worsen inequality. In a thought-provoking episode of the "Diary of a CEO" podcast, former Google X executive Mo Gawdat delivered a powerful prediction that's turning heads across industries: Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) will not just challenge white-collar work -- it could soon replace many of its top decision-makers, including CEOs. Gawdat, who previously served as the chief business officer at Google's innovation arm, didn't hold back. "AGI is going to be better than humans at everything, including being a CEO," he said. "There will be a time where most incompetent CEOs will be replaced." This warning comes amid rising public curiosity -- and concern -- about how AI will reshape the future of work. But Gawdat's perspective offers a sharp contrast to the often-optimistic vision shared by many industry leaders. Gawdat has seen the future up close. His own AI-powered startup, Emma.love, focused on emotional intelligence, was developed by just three people -- a feat he claims would have previously required 350 developers. Citing personal experience and decades in tech, he dismissed the common narrative that AI will create more jobs than it destroys. "The idea that artificial intelligence will create jobs is 100% crap," he said bluntly. He believes even roles requiring creativity and emotional nuance -- from podcasters to video editors -- are under threat. "We're now in a short window of augmented intelligence, where we still work alongside AI," Gawdat explained. "But it's quickly moving toward machine mastery." More than just a tech transition, Gawdat sees this moment as an existential reckoning for society. "We were never made to wake up every morning and just occupy 20 hours of our day with work," he said. "We defined our purpose as work -- that's a capitalist lie." He envisions a future that might seem utopian: one where people are free to focus on creativity, community, and joy, supported by universal basic income and freed from the grind of conventional employment. But getting there won't be easy. Gawdat warns of a "short-term dystopia" by 2027, marked by mass unemployment and economic instability if governments and institutions don't act responsibly. Gawdat's urgent tone stands in contrast with other tech figures like Jensen Huang, CEO of NVIDIA, who remains bullish on AI's potential to uplift workers. Huang argues that prompting and training AI is itself a sophisticated skill, and that the technology will augment human effort rather than erase it. Similarly, Mark Cuban champions AI literacy through youth-focused initiatives, while Meta's AI scientist Yann LeCun dismisses doomsday narratives altogether, insisting humans will remain in control. But Gawdat isn't alone. AI pioneer Geoffrey Hinton and Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei have also voiced grave concerns about unchecked AI development. Amodei, in a recent podcast appearance, predicted that up to 20% of entry-level white-collar jobs could vanish within five years. The tension is palpable. While some advocate for open innovation, others call for tight regulations to prevent reckless deployment. Gawdat fears that in the hands of profit-driven leaders, AI could deepen inequality. "Unless you're in the top 0.1%, you're a peasant. There is no middle class," he stated, highlighting the potential for AI to consolidate power and wealth. His concern echoes growing divisions within Silicon Valley itself. Amodei recently lashed out at Huang for misrepresenting his cautious stance on AI, accusing the NVIDIA boss of spreading "outrageous lies" to downplay the risks. Amodei has also warned against a "race to the bottom" in AI development, advocating instead for a responsible and transparent path -- one that companies like Anthropic claim to model through open research and ethical scaling. Despite the gloom, Gawdat remains hopeful for what lies beyond the upheaval -- a society where AI relieves us of soul-crushing labor and gives us back our time, relationships, and dignity. Still, his closing words are a reminder of how serious the stakes are: "This is real. This is not science fiction."

Ex-Google exec's shocking warning: AI will create 15 years of 'hell'...

A former Google executive warned that artificial intelligence will plunge society into more than a decade of severe disruption and hardship as it eliminates many white-collar jobs -- and the "hell" will begin as early as 2027. Mo Gawdat, who left Google X as its chief business officer in 2018 and has become a popular author and public speaker, painted a grim picture of widespread job losses, economic inequality and social chaos from the AI revolution. "The next 15 years will be hell before we get to heaven," Gawdat told British entrepreneur Steven Bartlett on his "Diary of a CEO" podcast on Monday. Gawdat, 58, pointed to his own startup, Emma.love, which builds emotional and relationship-focused artificial intelligence. It is run by three people. "That startup would have been 350 developers in the past," he told Bartlett in the interview, first reported by Business Insider. "As a matter of fact, podcaster is going to be replaced." Gawdat specifically warned that "the end of white-collar work" will begin by the late 2020s, representing a fundamental shift in how society operates. Unlike previous technological revolutions that primarily affected manual labor, he argues this wave of automation will target educated professionals and middle-class workers who form the backbone of modern economies. The Egyptian-born tech whiz, who was a millionaire by age 29, believes this massive displacement will create dangerous levels of economic inequality. Without proper government oversight, AI technology will channel unprecedented wealth and influence to those who own or control these systems, while leaving millions of workers struggling to find their place in the new economy, according to Gawdat. Beyond economic concerns, Gawdat anticipates serious social consequences from this rapid transformation. Gawdat said AI will trigger significant "social unrest" as people grapple with losing their livelihoods and sense of purpose -- resulting in rising rates of mental health problems, increased loneliness and deepening social divisions. "Unless you're in the top 0.1%, you're a peasant," Gawdat said. "There is no middle class." Despite his gloomy predictions, Gawdat said that the period of "hell" will be followed by a "utopian" era that would begin after 2040, when workers will be free from doing repetitive and mundane tasks. Instead of being "focused on consumerism and greed," humanity could instead be guided by "love, community, and spiritual development," according to Gawdat. Gawdat said that it is incumbent on governments, individuals and businesses to take proactive measures such as the adoption of universal basic income to help people navigate the transition. "We are headed into a short-term dystopia, but we can still decide what comes after that," Gawdat told the podcast, emphasizing that the future remains malleable based on choices society makes today. He argued that outcomes will depend heavily on decisions regarding regulation, equitable access to technology, and what he calls the "moral programming" of AI algorithms. "Our last hurrah as a species could be how we adapt, re-imagine, and humanize this new world," Gawdat said. Gawdat's predictions about mass AI-driven disruption are increasingly backed by mainstream economic data and analysis. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei has warned of a "white-collar bloodbath," predicting that up to half of all entry-level office jobs could vanish within five years. The World Economic Forum says 40% of global employers expect to reduce staff due to AI, and Harvard researchers estimate that 35% of white-collar tasks are now automatable. Meanwhile, Challenger, Gray & Christmas reports that over 27,000 job cuts since 2023 have been directly attributed to AI, with tens of thousands more expected. Goldman Sachs and McKinsey project a multi-trillion-dollar boost to global GDP from AI, but the IMF cautions that these gains may worsen inequality without targeted policy responses. Analysts from MIT and PwC echo Gawdat's fears of wage collapse, wealth concentration, and social unrest -- unless governments act swiftly to manage the transition.