Twenty CEOs told Axios they plan to slow future hiring, in part because of generative AI. Axios co-founder Jim VandeHei asked, “Maybe all these CEOs are wrong. But what if they’re right?” He warned of a jobs crisis “unfolding in plain sight.”
According to Raw Story, VandeHei said the White House and Congress are not treating this like a brewing crisis. He wrote that leaders seem focused on beating China to advanced AI, not bracing workers for a short-term jolt.
CEOs flag cuts and freezes tied to AI
VandeHei did not publish quotes from his calls, but he cited past public remarks. He said those remarks matched concerns he heard last week from the 20 CEOs.
Ford CEO Jim Farley said last summer that “Artificial intelligence is going to replace literally half of all white-collar workers in the U.S.” He added that “AI will leave a lot of white-collar people behind.”
Amazon CEO Andy Jassy said his company expects to “reduce our total corporate workforce” because of AI. Walmart CEO Doug McMillon told executives to expect a hiring freeze in the near future.
“Unfolding in plain sight” warning
VandeHei called the situation a looming potential jobs crisis. He said it is visible across America as AI adoption grows.
He wrote that most new technologies cause short-term pain but later create jobs. What feels different to him is the advanced warning this time, which he said leaders should use to prepare people.
Policy focus on China race, not worker prep
VandeHei wrote that top officials frame the AI contest with China as existential. He said they argue new technologies will, over time, create more and better jobs. He wrote that they dismiss warnings of massive job loss as “misguided doomerism.”
Raw Story reported that President Donald Trump signed an executive order to remove regulations around AI development. The report also said he has championed hundreds of billions of dollars in private-sector AI investments.
VandeHei argued that this narrow push could be short sighted. He said the administration failed to set guardrails for rapid AI adoption by companies, and for the impact on jobs.
According to Raw Story, VandeHei’s reporting raised a central question for leaders. What should they do now if CEOs are right about near-term job losses?
