KOR
▲ Amazon founder Jeff Bezos
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos said on Wednesday (local time) that artificial intelligence (AI) is more likely to cause labor shortages than to replace humans.
According to a Reuters report, Bezos made these remarks at the VivaTech technology conference held in Paris, France, on that day.
"Even many smart people worry that AI will make humans obsolete, but I completely disagree with that perspective. Instead, AI will lead to labor shortages," he predicted.
He argued that there is an "endless" amount of work for people to do, and while current constraints prevent such tasks from being completed, AI will lower those barriers.
"If space travel becomes reliable and affordable, and if we can obtain resources from asteroids, near-Earth objects, and the moon, we could return Earth to a pre-industrial state," he predicted.
Previously, in a recent interview with CNBC, he stated that he spends most of his time on Prometheus, while also dedicating time to AI projects at Blue Origin and Amazon, adding, "The common theme of where I spend my time is mostly AI."
Bezos has previously explained that Prometheus, the AI startup he leads as CEO, is developing an "Artificial General Engineer" rather than robots.
These remarks by Bezos come as global companies are cutting thousands of jobs following massive investments in AI.
Tech companies, in particular, have cited efficiency gains from the adoption of AI technology as a primary reason for workforce reductions.
According to a report by the global outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas, U.S. employers announced 97,000 job cuts in May, with 40% of those linked to AI.
A Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted this month shows that half of Americans are concerned that they or someone in their household could lose their job due to the rise of AI.
Amazon has also laid off 30,000 employees since the end of last year, citing reasons such as efficiency gains from AI.
Previously, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy had mentioned that automation through AI tools would lead to job losses.
(Photo: Getty Images)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.
