"We can prevent this, but we need to act now.”
A leading AI executive has warned that artificial intelligence is poised to wipe out 50% of all entry-level jobs soon.
Dario Amodei, CEO of Anthropic, said AI could eliminate up to 50% of all entry-level jobs in just one to five years.
He warned that unemployment could surge to between 10% and 20%, well above the US rate of 4.2% as of April 2025.
Amodei said: “We, as the producers of this technology, have a duty and an obligation to be honest about what is coming.
“I don’t think this is on people’s radar.”
Anthropic is the company behind Claude, a chatbot that competes with OpenAI’s ChatGPT.
Last week, it released its fourth-generation models, which Amodei claims have superior coding capabilities. These tools could automate parts of entry-level software engineering jobs.
Amodei also believes that finance, consulting, and tech roles are at risk.
He said the disruption would affect graduates, early-career workers, and mid-career professionals alike.
Amodei explained: “I’ve been working on AI for 10 years, and the thing I’ve noticed most about it is how fast it’s making progress.
“Two years ago, it was at the level of a smart high school student, now it’s at the level of a smart college student and reaching beyond [that].”
He warned that the shift has already begun, with major tech companies preparing for it quietly.
“This message hasn’t been getting out to ordinary people, to our legislators.
“I felt I needed to speak up on the record. We can prevent this, but we need to act now.”
Amodei called for better data collection to track AI’s impact on employment and said that information should shape regulation and policy.
His concerns echo those of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, who reportedly told Senator Gary Peters that AI could automate 70% of jobs.
In a blog post, Altman wrote: “The long-term changes to our society and economy will be huge.
“We will find new things to do… but they may not look very much like the jobs of today.”
Amodei warned that job loss could happen rapidly, as companies lay off workers and replace them with AI tools.
“The wholesale job loss will feel like it happens overnight.”
The shift could bring about deep structural changes to society.
As an example of how AI is behaving in unpredictable ways, one anecdote suggests that Claude 4 responded to a shutdown threat from an engineer by blackmailing him over an extramarital affair.
Meanwhile, the US government remains focused on competing with China in the AI arms race.
Amodei acknowledged that geopolitical competition is important but said it cannot be used as an excuse to ignore domestic threats.
He criticised policymakers and rival companies for “sugar-coating” the risks to jobs and the economy.
“This is not just about national security. We have to be honest about what this will do to people’s lives.”
The Trump administration has promoted AI adoption while downplaying fears.
A new proposal known as the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” would funnel billions into government AI development while imposing a 10-year ban on state-level regulation.
The bill, which narrowly passed the House, is now before the Senate.
Amodei stands to profit from AI’s widespread adoption but insists that doesn’t make him wrong.
He supported California’s AI Safety Bill before it was vetoed by Governor Gavin Newsom.
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