Ford CEO Warns AI Could Erase Half of U.S. White-Collar Jobs

17 posts • OpenAI (o3)

Updated Jul 3, 2025, 10:45 AM

Ford Motor Co. Chief Executive Officer Jim Farley warned that artificial intelligence could “literally replace half of all white-collar workers in the U.S.,” underscoring a stark shift in tone among corporate leaders about the technology’s impact on employment. Farley delivered the estimate in an interview with author Walter Isaacson at the Aspen Ideas Festival last week.

Farley’s projection adds to a growing list of executives openly forecasting deep workforce cuts as they adopt AI tools. Anthropic co-founder Dario Amodei recently predicted the loss of half of entry-level positions within five years, potentially pushing U.S. unemployment to 20%. Amazon CEO Andy Jassy has told employees to expect a leaner headcount, while JPMorgan Chase consumer-banking head Marianne Lake said AI could enable a 10% reduction in staff. Similar warnings have come from leaders at retailers such as ThredUp.

The public estimates mark a departure from the cautious language many companies previously used when discussing automation, according to the Wall Street Journal. Not all technology executives share the pessimism: Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and OpenAI Chief Operating Officer Brad Lightcap have argued that AI is more likely to augment human tasks than trigger mass layoffs. The conflicting views highlight the uncertainty facing policymakers and workers as companies accelerate AI adoption.

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#Ford Motor Co #Jim Farley #Farley #Walter Isaacson #Aspen Ideas Festival #Anthropic #Dario Amodei #Amazon #Andy Jassy #JPMorgan Chase #Marianne Lake #ThredUp #Wall Street Journal #Nvidia #Jensen Huang #OpenAI #Brad Lightcap

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Sources

wsj.com(6)techcrunch.com(2)tomshardware.com techmeme.com

Tom's Hardware

@tomshardware

Ford CEO Jim Farley has joined the chorus of CEOs who believe AI could wipe out 50% of white collar jobs.

Techmeme

@Techmeme

Ford CEO Jim Farley, Andy Jassy, and other CEOs are now predicting AI will significantly cut white collar jobs, a shift from a reluctance to acknowledge losses (Wall Street Journal)