WASHINGTON: Geoffrey Hinton, widely known as the “godfather of AI,” has warned that artificial intelligence is likely to cause large-scale job losses as companies expand their use of automation tools.
Speaking at Georgetown University, Hinton said major technology firms are investing heavily in data centres and advanced chips with a single objective: to replace human workers with cheaper AI systems to raise profits.
He criticised Big Tech companies for prioritising short-term financial gains over scientific progress. He said this approach was accelerating the displacement of human roles across many sectors.
Early signs of overcapacity
A recent report by BearingPoint has highlighted growing workforce pressure linked to early adoption of AI.
According to the study, around half of global executives surveyed believe their current workforces are overstaffed by between 10% and 19%.
The findings point to a potential wave of layoffs as organisations continue to integrate AI systems.
Divided views on AI’s future impact
Hinton’s warning contrasts with more optimistic views held by some industry leaders. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has argued that AI will transform jobs rather than eliminate them.
Hinton said predicting the long-term impact of AI was like “driving in fog.” He said the short-term effects were visible, but the long-term consequences remained unclear.
Experts call for urgent action
Despite the uncertainty, early signs of disruption are becoming more evident. Experts recommend that business leaders move quickly to invest in reskilling programmes.
They also urge companies to establish governance frameworks to manage the transition and maintain stability in what they describe as the emerging “agentic age.”
Geoffrey Hinton is a British-Canadian computer scientist and cognitive psychologist.
He is renowned for his pioneering work on deep learning and neural networks, including backpropagation, Boltzmann machines and deep belief nets.
His contributions earned him the 2018 Turing Award and the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physics.
Hinton left Google in 2023 to speak openly about the risks he believes AI poses, including job displacement and the potential emergence of superintelligent systems.
