200 Experts Warn Major AI-Driven Job Disaster Is Imminent, Humanity Unprepared

More than 200 economists, researchers, and industry leaders, including 16 Nobel Prize laureates in Economics, have signed an open letter urging immediate attention to the impending impact of artificial intelligence on the global labour market, warning that humanity is not ready. The letter, titled ‘We Must Act Now’, states that the rapid advancement of AI capabilities over the next decade could transform economies more radically than the Industrial Revolution, but at a far greater speed, risking massive disruption to livelihoods.

The signatories, ranging from AI optimists to sceptics, argue that while AI holds the potential for improved living standards and new economic opportunities, its benefits and risks cannot be managed without urgent preparation. The letter stresses that governments must establish policy frameworks, guardrails, and institutions to steer the technology towards complementing human workers rather than forcibly replacing them.

Among the notable signatories are Nobel laureates Daron Acemoglu and Simon Johnson, former Google CEO Eric Schmidt, and Anthropic co-founder Jack Clark. Acemoglu, known for his cautious stance on AI, highlighted that the technology could displace workers on a scale similar to the automation of manufacturing, but at a much faster pace. The experts collectively warn that waiting for the damage to occur before acting is not an option, as the window for preparation is rapidly closing.