LinkedIn cofounder Reid Hoffman says AI job fears are legitimate, but Gen Z grads have one advantage
If you're young, job-hunting, and fluent in AI, Reid Hoffman thinks you've got a secret weapon. LinkedIn cofounder Reid Hoffman offered some upbeat advice to students worried about the rise of artificial intelligence in the job market. In a recent video posted on his YouTube channel, Hoffman urged young job-seekers to turn their AI know-how into a major selling point when applying for roles. He said that Gen Z is the generation of AI, and this will make this generation "enormously attractive."advertisementIn the recently posted video, Hoffman was answering questions submitted by college students who voiced growing concerns over whether AI could wipe out large numbers of jobs. While acknowledging that the technology's impact is 'a legitimate worry,' Hoffman argued that younger workers may actually have a built-in advantage over older generations who are still catching up.He agreed that AI is transforming the workspace, entry-level work, and employers' confusion, but it is also allowing them to showcase their unique capabilities. The optimism from Hoffman comes at a time when the broader tech world remains sharply divided over AI's long-term effect on employment.
Dario Amodei, CEO of AI firm Anthropic, recently painted a much darker picture. In a conversation with Axios, Amodei warned that AI could eliminate half of all entry-level office jobs and send unemployment soaring to 20 per cent within just five years. (Read the full story here). 'Most of them are unaware that this is about to happen,' Amodei cautioned. 'It sounds crazy, and people just don't believe it.'advertisementHowever, others in the tech industry strongly disagree with Amodei's bleak forecast. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, speaking at VivaTech 2025 in Paris this week, dismissed the warning outright. 'I pretty much disagree with almost everything he says,' Huang told reporters. 'He thinks AI is so scary, but only they should do it,' he added. Similar to Hoffman, Huang admitted that AI would certainly transform work but argued that it will also open new doors and create fresh industries. 'Do I think AI will change jobs? It will change everyone's, it's changed mine,' he said.But, AI is not your friend...A few weeks ago, Hoffman made headlines for claiming that if you think AI is your friend, then you are wrong. He explained that friendship goes beyond simply having someone to talk to or listen. In his words, 'Friendship is a two-directional relationship.' He explained that a genuine friend is someone who not only offers support but also expects it in return — a bond where both individuals help each other grow and improve. 'It's not only, 'Are you there for me?', but I am here for you,' he added. According to Hoffman, this kind of mutual connection is something AI, regardless of how advanced it may become, will never be able to replicate. This discussion comes as Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg champions the use of AI companions as a way to combat loneliness. Highlighting that many Americans have fewer than three close friends, Zuckerberg suggested that AI could help bridge that social gap. These AI companions are already being integrated into platforms such as Instagram, WhatsApp, Facebook, and even smart glasses. However, Hoffman remains critical of this approach, arguing that it risks blurring people's understanding of true friendship. He pointed out that some AI tools, like the Pi chatbot developed by Inflection AI, handle this more responsibly by making it clear to users that they serve as companions — not substitutes for real friends.
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And US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said there would be no "quid pro quo" on easing curbs on exports of AI chips to China in exchange for access to rare earths. China Chokehold But China's chokehold on the rare earth magnets needed for weapons systems remains a potential flashpoint. China dominates global production of rare earths and holds a virtual monopoly on refining and processing. A deal reached in Geneva last month to reduce bilateral tariffs from crushing triple-digit levels had faltered over Beijing's restrictions on critical minerals exports that took shape in April. That prompted the Trump administration to respond with export controls preventing shipments of semiconductor design software, jet engines for Chinese-made planes and other goods to China. At the London talks, China promised to fast-track approval of rare-earth export applications from non-military US manufacturers out of the tens of thousands currently pending, one of the sources said. 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Trump initially imposed tariffs on China as punishment for its massive trade surplus to the United States and over what he says is Beijing's failure to stem the flow of the powerful opioid fentanyl into the US Chinese analysts are pessimistic about the likelihood of further breakthroughs before the August 10 deadline agreed in Geneva. "Temporary mutual accommodation of some concerns is possible but the fundamental issue of the trade imbalance cannot be resolved within this timeframe, and possibly during Trump's remaining term," said Liu Weidong, a US-China expert at the Institute of American Studies, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. An extension of the August deadline could allow the Trump administration more time to establish an alternative legal claim for setting higher tariffs on China under the Section 301 authority of the USTR in case Trump loses the ongoing legal challenge to the tariffs in US court, one of the people with knowledge of the London talks said. The unresolved issues underscore the difficulty the Trump administration faces in pushing its trade agenda with China because of Beijing's control of rare earths and its willingness to use that as leverage with Washington, said Ryan Hass, director of the John L. Thornton China Center at the Brookings Institution. "It has taken the Trump team a few punches in the nose to recognise that they will no longer be able to secure another trade agreement with China that disproportionately addresses Trump's priorities," Hass said.
