Experts at the Vivatech trade fair in Paris warned that AI may eliminate a large portion of white-collar jobs very soon. One of the startups showed a platform with customizable AI agents to substitute the traditional human roles.
Dario Amodei, CEO of Anthropic, backed the claim. He forecasted that AI may eliminate up to half of entry-level white-collar jobs in a year to five years.
Firms Focus on Reskilling, Not Just Job Cuts
Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, Chief Innovation Officer at ManpowerGroup, dismissed extreme forecasts. He said the company has no plans to adopt AI agents as its core workforce. “Most predictions like these turn out wrong,” he explained.
He stressed that AI would not wipe all jobs, and instead it would transform the way work occurs. Workers must use saved time productively to gain from these tools.
An International Labour Organisation (ILO) report released in May showed that 25 percent of all jobs globally are at least partially exposed to AI. The ILO explained that the majority of jobs are not under the threat of complete automation yet. The ILO clarified that most roles aren’t at risk of total automation yet. However, it did highlight the fast rise of “agentic” models that handle tasks through web browsers and email.
Chamorro-Premuzic added a warning. If people save 30% to 50% of their time with AI but waste it on social media, businesses gain nothing. He encouraged companies and workers to manage time wisely.
Digital Skills Will Define the New Workforce
Industries now value adaptability more than routine experience. Employers are actively recruiting individuals with AI, data tools, and rapid problem-solving skills. As the old roles die, new ones will emerge. Early upskilling will be successful. The upheaval can be overwhelming, yet it presents numerous possibilities of innovation and development.
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