CEOs and execs can't agree on what AI means for Gen Z workers

Technology Executives Present Differing Assessments of AI's Effects on Entry-Level Positions

Executives across technology and business sectors have expressed contrasting assessments regarding the implications of artificial intelligence for early-career employment.

For individuals from Generation Z entering the labor market, the expansion of generative artificial intelligence has introduced considerable uncertainty. Dario Amodei, chief executive of Anthropic, has stated that the technology could reduce the number of entry-level positions, while other executives have maintained that younger workers may hold advantages in an environment shaped by AI systems. The discussion centers on an unresolved question about whether AI will reduce opportunities at the initial stage of professional careers or accelerate advancement for new entrants.

Felix Aidala, an economist at the Indeed Hiring Lab, noted that differing opinions largely reflect varying estimates of the pace of AI adoption. "I think a lot of the disagreement is centered around the speed that the AI transition will take place," Aidala told Business Insider. Data from Indeed indicate that postings for entry-level positions declined approximately 6 percent over the preceding year. Aidala observed that isolating the contribution of any single factor remains difficult, as AI applications, remote work arrangements, and general economic conditions have each likely contributed. He added that the market for entry-level roles already shows certain shifts tied to AI, with positions focused on AI implementation increasing substantially on the platform in recent months. Aidala stated that historical patterns show technological changes ultimately producing net job growth, though such adjustments require time for new roles and sectors to emerge.

The following sections summarize statements from several chief executives and technology leaders on the topic.

Dario Amodei, chief executive of Anthropic

Amodei has stated that AI systems could eliminate as many as half of entry-level white-collar positions within the next several years. "We, as the producers of this technology, have a duty and an obligation to be honest about what is coming," he said in a 2024 interview. Amodei has repeated this assessment on multiple occasions.

Matt Garman, chief executive of Amazon Web Services

Garman has described forecasts of widespread job losses from AI as overstated. He has indicated that roughly half of white-collar positions may be altered by AI tools without necessarily disappearing. Garman characterized the notion of substituting entry-level staff with AI systems as "one of the dumbest things" he has encountered. During an appearance on the Platformer podcast, he emphasized the advantages of hiring recent graduates, noting their lower compensation costs, adaptability to company practices, and readiness to adopt new technologies. "They're some of the very best employees you can possibly have," Garman said.

Sam Altman, chief executive of OpenAI

Altman stated that AI has not yet reduced entry-level white-collar employment at the rate he had anticipated. "I'm delighted to be wrong about this," he said at an event hosted by the Commonwealth Bank of Australia. "I thought that there would have been more impact on entry-level white-collar work jobs being eliminated by now than it's actually happened."

Elizabeth Stone, chief product and technology officer at Netflix

Stone indicated that Netflix continues to recruit junior staff and views them as central to its staffing approach. "We are still hiring junior people, and they're really important to our talent strategy," she said on an episode of Lenny's Podcast. She noted that earlier-career employees often demonstrate greater openness to new AI tools and awareness of shifts in entertainment consumption. "I can guarantee you that earlier career talent is going to be teaching older folks like me many new things, too," Stone said.

Demis Hassabis, chief executive of Google DeepMind

Hassabis has advised students and recent graduates to develop proficiency with AI systems. He has recommended that young people gain detailed familiarity with how the tools operate and what tasks they can perform. "Whatever happens with these AI tools, you'll be better off understanding how they work, and how they function, and what you can do with them," Hassabis said on an episode of the Hard Fork podcast in 2024.

Garrett Lord, chief executive of Handshake

Lord has described recent graduates as "AI native" and therefore positioned to perform effectively. He compared skill in using AI tools to operating with an advantage in productivity. Lord stated that employer feedback received by Handshake does not support claims that young workers will face broad unemployment. "A lot of people are kind of hyperbolic at saying that all young people won't have jobs," he said on an episode of Lenny's Podcast. "That's not what we're hearing from our employers."

Clay Bavor, cofounder of Sierra

Bavor has observed that certain early-career employees at Sierra demonstrate strong performance because of their familiarity with AI applications. Speaking on the 20VC podcast, he noted that individuals in their early twenties who combine appropriate orientation with experience using current tools have received elevated consideration. "I can't remember a time when a young person with no work experience, but with the right mindset and experience using some of these tools, has ever been so valued," Bavor said.

Entry-level job data and executive commentary together illustrate ongoing variation in expectations about how quickly and extensively AI will reshape hiring practices for new workers.