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

Economic Times

2 days ago

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.
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AI will kill white-collar jobs, not just factory work
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Gawdat says AI may lead to better future—but only if we act now
Experts agree: AI could cause huge job losses and inequality
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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.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.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.AI is expected to begin replacing many white-collar jobs by the late 2020s, around 2027.Governments can support workers by creating policies like Universal Basic Income (UBI) and regulating AI fairly.