AI pioneer warns CEOs’ dire job loss predictions are ‘extremely destructive,’ with youth bearing the brunt

(SeaPRwire) –   Over the past few months, a recurring pattern has emerged: business leaders issue alarming statements about AI’s impact on jobs, igniting weeks of debate and unsettling U.S. workers. Now, an influential figure in AI is challenging those claims—and highlighting the risks they generate.

In an interview with Axios, Yann LeCun, former Meta AI chief and inventor of key AI technologies such as deep learning, argued that these apocalyptic narratives are misguided—and “extremely destructive.” 

“Don’t listen to CEOs,” he said. “They have a vested interest in promoting the power of the products they sell.” Instead, he advised people to pay closer attention to economists, most of whom question the idea that AI will eliminate large portions of the entry-level white-collar workforce.  

LeCun, who won the Turing Award—a prestigious annual prize recognizing lasting contributions to computer science—added that the cumulative effect of these warnings is “extremely destructive.”

“A small number of high school students are actually quite depressed because they’ve read that AI isn’t just going to take their future jobs—but could even lead to human extinction,” he explained. “They believe this seriously, and it deeply affects their mental well-being.”

Instead of fearing AI, LeCun warned that the real danger lies in making major life decisions based on exaggerated claims about its capabilities. He encouraged high school students to pursue higher education and follow their passions, regardless of fears about limited job opportunities after graduation. 

While some tech companies have laid off employees this year citing AI-driven efficiencies, the feared mass job displacement has not yet materialized. Some observers suspect that AI-related layoffs may be overstated or used as a convenient excuse for cuts driven by other factors. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman even coined a term for this practice.

Nonetheless, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei maintains that AI will eliminate half of all entry-level white-collar jobs. Microsoft AI leader Mustafa Suleyman predicts this transformation will occur within just 18 months.

Gen Z fears an AI job apocalypse. The data tells a different story

Although no studies directly measure how AI job loss warnings affect high schoolers, a recent Gallup poll revealed that Gen Z is growing increasingly skeptical—and anxious—about AI. Thirty-one percent of respondents aged 14 to 29 reported feeling worried or angry about AI’s development, up from 22% the previous year.

This unease stems largely from concerns targeting the crucial first step into the professional world: entry-level positions. For many, the once-promised stability of white-collar careers—complete with health insurance, retirement plans, and paid time off—now seems uncertain.

In response, a growing number of Gen Z individuals are rethinking traditional career paths. A ZipRecruiter survey found that recent college graduates are now more likely to consider starting their own businesses, seeking gig or freelance work, or entering skilled trades instead of pursuing conventional full-time roles.

However, this shift appears disconnected from current labor market trends. According to ZipRecruiter, 77% of the class of 2025 secured employment within three months of graduation—a significant increase from 63.3% a year earlier. Additionally, Federal Reserve data shows that unemployment among 20- to 24-year-olds fell to 6.4% in March, down from a peak of 9.2% last September, suggesting young adults are finding work more quickly than doomsayers predict.

That said, some research indicates that AI may soon be capable of performing tasks traditionally done by professionals in fields like law, business, finance, and management. A study by AI lab Anthropic concluded that its systems can already theoretically handle duties associated with such roles.

Yet LeCun remains unconvinced that widespread job losses are imminent. He draws parallels between today’s AI revolution and previous technological shifts, a comparison echoed by other economists who reject the notion of an impending job apocalypse.

“There is nothing fundamentally new about this technological revolution,” he stated. “It’s simply another set of tools that enhances our productivity.”