Exclusive: White House adviser says AI job fears "underestimate" workers
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
White House adviser Jacob Helberg at the Axios' AI+ DC Summit. Photo: Axios.
Fears that AI will cause huge swaths of Americans to lose their jobs are overhyped, White House adviser Jacob Helberg said during Axios' AI+ DC Summit on Wednesday.
Why it matters: Several AI leaders have warned of a potential white-collar bloodbath in a few years as AI gets more advanced, but Helberg thinks workers and private companies will adapt to the changing times.
What they're saying: Helberg told Axios technology policy reporter Maria Curi that similar to the computer revolution, people might be displaced, but other opportunities would emerge.
- "I think the notion that the government necessarily has to hold the hands of every single person getting displaced actually underestimates the resourcefulness of people," Helberg said.
- He also argued that assuming the government needs to involve itself to prevent those job losses "underestimates the incredible adaptability and resourcefulness of the private sector."
Friction point: Some industry heavyweights, such as Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, have said that AI could displace more than half of all entry-level white-collar jobs.
Zoom out: More broadly, economists are sounding the alarm that the trend of companies turning to automation during market downturns could cause millions of workers to lose their jobs.
- While the U.S. economy is still strong, job growth came to a near-halt this summer, and new tariffs have helped inflation pressure remain high, influencing the Federal Reserve's decision to deliver the first interest rate cut of the year.
What we're watching: The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy plans to ask business leaders what government roadblocks are holding back innovation later this month in what will be the first recommended policy moves in Trump's AI action plan.
- The requested information is expected to help the administration cut bureaucratic red tape, with the goal of speeding up AI growth.
