Fears of Humans Being Replaced by AI, Bank Responds
Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia - Recently, concerns have emerged that artificial intelligence (AI) will replace human roles in the workplace. However, a US central bank official has expressed a different view.
Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller affirmed that the adoption of AI will not completely disrupt the US labour market.
“I am not a pessimist and exaggerating” about the economic impact of AI, said Waller at a conference held by the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, quoted by Reuters, Wednesday (25/2/2026).
“I don’t think you will ever completely take humans out of the picture and AI will do everything and we will end up working at a McDonald’s drive-through,” he added.
According to Waller, AI is just a tool that can be used to improve productivity.
“AI is a tool that we can use. We will use it. We will control it, we will manage the risks. That is what we always do,” he said.
Waller acknowledged that the impact of AI on workers could be unsettling. Amid massive investment in this sector and uncertainty about the future, many are concerned that a number of high-paying jobs will be lost.
Some of the anxiety is driven by industry players themselves, as massive investment flows into this sector amid a very uncertain future.
Concerns about jobs due to AI are also exacerbated by a weakening labour market, although analysts are still debating how much, if any, of the weakening is related to the adoption of AI.
However, he remains optimistic. “In the end, people will find ways to take this tool and use it to make our lives better, more productive and more efficient, we will have more time to do other things.”
On the other hand, Waller stressed that the central bank will not be reckless in adopting AI.
“We cannot approach AI haphazardly,” he said. He added that, as a central bank, they set high standards for the use of the technology.
“That means clear limits on how and where the technology is used, strong information security controls, rigorous model validation, human accountability for decisions, and ongoing evaluation as the technology evolves.”
Although known as a decentralised institution with 12 regional banks, The Fed is now taking a more centralised approach to AI implementation.
“We are moving as one system, with the same direction and alignment,” said Waller. He emphasised that decisions on the implementation of AI will begin with identifying problems and business needs, before selecting the appropriate technology capabilities.