Ford CEO Jim Farley has sounded the alarm about artificial intelligence (AI) replacing half of white-collar jobs. Speaking at the Aspen Ideas Festival, Farley emphasized the importance of skilled trades as tech hiring slows down. He cited his own family’s experience with menial labor and noted that the American education system prioritizes four-year degrees over vocational training.
Farley warned that AI could replace 50% of all white-collar workers in the US, leading to a shift towards skilled trades. This sentiment is echoed by Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, who stated that AI could eliminate half of entry-level office jobs within five years. Companies and governments are being urged to acknowledge the risks posed by widespread job replacement.
Not all executives share this view, however. Amazon’s Andy Jassy believes that AI will create new job opportunities in robotics and AI. Cognizant CEO Ravi Kumar thinks AI will lead to more jobs for college graduates, particularly in human labor. Nvidia’s Jensen Huang disagrees with Amodei’s warning, stating that AI will change everyone’s job but also create creative opportunities.
The tech industry is experiencing a slowdown in hiring, with white-collar job postings declining 12.7% year-over-year and blue-collar jobs dipping 11.6%. GenZ is turning to blue-collar jobs as the safest spot in the labor market for now, according to some experts.
Source: https://www.businessinsider.com/ford-ceo-jim-farley-ai-eliminate-half-white-collar-jobs-2025-7