3 days ago
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Alex Imas hasn't yet seen evidence that AI is driving job losses.
During an interview with the "Dwarkesh Podcast," the director of AGI economics at Google DeepMind and a professor of economics at the University of Chicago was asked if he's seen any evidence of a white-collar jobs apocalypse. He said no.
Still, he warned of a hypothetical scenario that could trigger a "cascade effect" of FOMO-driven job cuts.
"Let's say we get into a narrative where if you're a firm and you're not laying people off, then you're seen as not adapting AI enough," he said. "That's super worrying, where the firm might actually be worse off after the layoffs than before the layoffs, but it's just doing the layoffs to have the perception that, 'Look, we're not behind the times. We're using AI.'"
A Google DeepMind spokesperson said Imas appeared on the podcast in a personal capacity and reiterated that the scenario he discussed was hypothetical. The spokesperson said Imas' broader point was that current data does not show evidence of a white-collar bloodbath.
The spokesperson also pointed to previous comments from Google DeepMind's CEO, Demis Hassabis, who has said AI could make workers more productive and create new jobs.
Imas' comments come as executives across industries are under pressure to show investors and employees that they are adapting to AI. Some companies — like Jack Dorsey's Block and Snap, the maker of Snapchat — cited AI when announcing workforce cuts. Meanwhile, leading AI voices, including Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, have warned that the technology could eliminate large swaths of entry-level white-collar work.
Imas said he hasn't seen evidence of broad AI-driven job losses.
"A lot of people are looking at it," he said, adding that "even looking at software engineering, the most exposed sectors, there's just not really anything going on."
Instead, he said AI could still make some jobs more productive by automating parts of a role, letting workers focus on tasks machines cannot do.
"Let's say the AI automates nine out of ten tasks. One task is not automated," he said. "If that person can now focus in on that task, the job will become more productive."
For now, Imas said, the broader jobs apocalypse has not arrived.
"Right now, we don't really have any evidence of a white-collar bloodbath," he said.
Imas did not provide additional comment to Business Insider.
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Ben Shimkus is a reporter for the Business News desk. He writes about cars, transportation, retail, and jobs. Ben's reporting has appeared in Rolling Stone, The Verge, Automotive News, USA Today, AutoBody News, LGBTQ Nation, TopSpeed, and Out Magazine. He's also held staff writing positions at The U.S. Sun and the Daily Mail. He graduated from NYU with a Master's in journalism in 2024. Email Ben at bshimkus@insider.com or message him privately on Signal at bshimkus.41.
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