AI layoffs already underway
Several companies have already cut staff or frozen hiring to prepare for AI-driven workforces. Duolingo, Workday, and Klarna are among those replacing human workers with AI systems. Gawdat predicted a “jobs armageddon” within the next 5 to 15 years.
The former Google executive also cautioned that CEOs should not feel safe, as AI could replace them too. “CEOs are celebrating that they can now get rid of people and have productivity gains and cost reductions because AI can do that job,” he said. “The one thing they don’t think of is AI will replace them too.” He added, “AGI is going to be better at everything than humans, including being a CEO. You really have to imagine that there will be a time where most incompetent CEOs will be replaced.”
AI’s role versus human values
Despite his warnings, Gawdat said AI itself is not to blame for job losses. Instead, he pointed to current human values, especially capitalism’s focus on profit and labor arbitrage. “There’s absolutely nothing wrong with AI—there’s a lot wrong with the value set of humanity at the age of the rise of the machines,” he said.
AI may replace world leaders for better governance
AI is already performing tasks such as coding, customer service, administration, and market analysis faster than humans. Leaders at Google DeepMind and OpenAI predict AI will surpass even the most powerful people by 2030.
Gawdat suggested AI could improve global leadership by replacing immoral corporate executives and world leaders. “The only way for us to get to a better place, is for the evil people at the top to be replaced with AI,” he said. “Otherwise, they lose their advantage.” He warned that AI-enabled leaders are “unavoidable” because technology will magnify both good and evil.
Calls for AI regulation grow louder
Concerns over AI’s impact have led figures like OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Google CEO Sundar Pichai to call for regulation. Altman has proposed an international body similar to the IAEA to oversee AI development, requiring audits, safety testing, and deployment controls.In a 2023 blog post, Altman wrote, “We are likely to eventually need something like an IAEA for superintelligence efforts,” stressing the need for global oversight to prevent potential harm.
