Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has dismissed concerns that artificial intelligence could make humans obsolete, arguing instead that AI may create a labour shortage by unlocking new opportunities and expanding what individuals and businesses are capable of achieving.
Speaking at the VivaTech technology conference in Paris, Bezos presented an optimistic outlook on AI’s impact on employment, despite growing concerns over job losses linked to automation and AI adoption across industries.
“I know there’s a lot of concern that AI is going to make humans redundant,” Bezos said. “I completely disagree with that point of view. In fact, I believe AI is going to create a labour shortage.”
His comments come at a time when companies, particularly in the technology sector, are increasingly citing AI-driven efficiencies as a reason for reducing their workforce. According to global outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas, US employers announced 97,006 job cuts in May, with AI-related factors accounting for around 40 percent of the layoffs.
Public concerns have also intensified. A recent Reuters/Ipsos survey found that nearly half of Americans fear that AI could threaten jobs within their households.
Bezos, whose net worth is estimated at around $250 billion, argued that human needs and ambitions are virtually limitless and that AI would help remove many barriers that currently restrict productivity and innovation.
His remarks are particularly noteworthy given that Amazon itself has reduced nearly 30,000 corporate positions since late last year, partly due to efficiency gains from AI technologies. Earlier, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy had acknowledged that increased automation would likely lead to job reductions in certain areas.
At the conference, Bezos also spoke about Prometheus, his new AI venture aimed at accelerating physical manufacturing, and Blue Origin, the aerospace company competing with Elon Musk’s SpaceX.
Looking toward the future of space exploration, Bezos said one of humanity’s long-term goals should be to shift polluting industries away from Earth. He suggested that if space transportation becomes affordable and reliable, and resources can be sourced from asteroids, the Moon, and other near-Earth objects, the planet could eventually be restored to a state closer to its pre-industrial era.
Meanwhile, Blue Origin CEO David Limp revealed that reconstruction work has begun on the company’s Florida launch pad for New Glenn rockets following an explosion that occurred in May.
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