Anthropic Chief Dario Amodei warns AI could erase entry-level roles at unprecedented speed

Anthropic chief executive Dario Amodei has reiterated his warning that artificial intelligence could displace nearly half of entry-level white-collar roles within the next five years, pushing unemployment to between 10 and 20 percent. He stated that without meaningful intervention, the impact of AI on the labour market could be profound and unfold more rapidly than any technological shift witnessed before.

Dario Amodei first raised the alarm earlier this year, triggering intense debate across the technology sector. While several industry figures have echoed his concerns, others, including Nvidia chief Jensen Huang and OpenAI head Sam Altman, have dismissed the idea of large-scale job losses.

Speaking to CBS News in a recent interview, Amodei repeated his stance and outlined the categories of workers he believes are most at risk. He informed that entry-level consultants, lawyers and financial professionals could be among the first to feel the effects, noting that AI systems are already performing many of the tasks associated with these professions. He stated that without targeted action, it is difficult to imagine a scenario in which substantial job disruption does not occur and added that his concern lies in the breadth and the unprecedented speed at which such change may take place.

He spoke about the pace of advancement, emphasising that the transformation is approaching extraordinarily quickly and warned that the worst outcome would be one in which society recognises the scale of change too late, leaving people without adequate time or support to adapt.

Amodei also pointed to the importance of transparency around the risks associated with AI, cautioning that failing to acknowledge and address potential harms could lead to mistakes comparable to those made by industries such as tobacco and pharmaceuticals, where dangers were known but not openly communicated or mitigated.

His comments come shortly after a prominent DeepSeek researcher predicted that AI systems could take over many human-performed jobs in the coming decades, adding further urgency to the debate about workforce readiness and regulatory oversight.