Ford CEO Farley Warns AI Could Replace Half of U.S. Office Jobs

Ford Motor Co. Chief Executive Officer Jim Farley warned that artificial intelligence will “replace literally half of all white-collar workers in the United States,” saying the technology will leave many employees behind even as it boosts productivity. Farley delivered the forecast during an on-stage conversation at the Aspen Ideas Festival, according to remarks cited by the Wall Street Journal.

Farley’s estimate underscores a shift in tone among U.S. business leaders who are now publicly quantifying potential job losses from generative AI after months of hedging. Amazon Chief Executive Andy Jassy recently told employees the company expects a smaller corporate workforce as automation spreads, while JPMorgan Chase said in May that the bank’s operations headcount could fall about 10 percent as software agents take over routine tasks.

Executives from Anthropic, IBM, Fiverr and other firms have issued similar warnings. Anthropic co-founder Dario Amodei has suggested the U.S. unemployment rate could rise to 10-20 percent within five years if entry-level roles disappear, although some leaders, including Nvidia’s Jensen Huang and OpenAI’s Brad Lightcap, argue the impact will be less severe. Research published by Forbes shows 93 percent of companies plan to raise AI spending over the next two years, but fewer than half are actively upskilling staff, highlighting the policy and training gaps companies and governments must address as adoption accelerates.