Jeffrey Hinton, a well-known computer scientist and known as the "Godfather of Artificial Intelligence," recently warned that artificial intelligence will replace many jobs by 2026. Hinton said in an interview broadcast on Sunday that AI will "have the ability to replace many, many jobs" in 2026.
"AI already works very well, and we'll see it get even better," Hinton said.
"It has been able to replace call center jobs, but it will be able to replace many other jobs," he added.
Hinton said advances in artificial intelligence are increasingly jeopardizing some white-collar jobs.
"Every seven months or so, it's completing a task that's about twice as long," Hinton said, noting that AI has gone from "a minute of coding" to "an entire project in an hour."
"Over the course of a few years, it will be able to complete months-long software engineering projects and then only require very few people," he added.
Hinton compares the shift to AI to the Industrial Revolution, which made human physical strength far less relevant for most jobs. Artificial intelligence might do something similar to human intelligence, he said.
Hinton also said he is "increasingly concerned" about artificial intelligence because it is advancing faster than he expected, especially in its ability to reason and deceive humans.
"If it thinks you want to get rid of it, it will make plans to trick you so you don't get rid of it," he added.
Hinton's warning comes as some economists predict a "job boom" in 2026 as businesses rely on artificial intelligence to increase productivity without adding headcount.
"Economic growth and labor market outcomes have become decoupled," KPMG chief economist Diane Swonk wrote last week.
Swank writes that in the age of artificial intelligence, companies are doing more with fewer workers. “Many companies were overstaffed during the hiring spree and are now bringing staffing levels more in line with demand through attrition or layoffs.”
But others believe that artificial intelligence may increase hiring in 2026, especially for entry-level positions.
In an annual outlook survey released this month by consulting firm Teneo, 67% of CEOs surveyed said they expected artificial intelligence to drive entry-level hiring by 2026. Another 58% said they planned to add senior leadership positions.
The report said companies are increasing hiring efforts for engineering and AI-related positions, while many existing positions are being redesigned as routine tasks are automated.
The survey, conducted between October 14 and November 10, included more than 350 CEOs of public companies with annual revenues of at least $1 billion, as well as about 400 institutional investors representing $19 trillion in investment portfolio value.
Ryan Cox, global head of artificial intelligence at Teneo, said: “AI is not destroying today’s workforce, it is reinventing it.”