The Godfather of artificial intelligence provides a dire warning about the future of employment and the job market

Former Google employee and “Godfather of AI,” Geoffrey Hinton, has a warning for workers: your job could soon be eliminated.

Steven Bartlett interviewed Hinton on his podcast, Diary of a CEO, which was released on Monday, June 16, 2025. Bartlett began the interview by asking Hinton why exactly he is called the Godfather of AI. Hinton responded by detailing the history of his career and the innovative approach he took to computer programming and engineering—an approach that helped pave the way for modern AI.

Unlike many in the field during the latter half of the 20th century, who believed AI would need to be based on logic and reasoning, Hinton believed that a computer-simulated neural network could be created, mimicking the way connections between brain cells allow people to learn and reason. Through these artificial neural pathways, computers can be designed to carry out complex tasks, forming the foundation of AI platforms like OpenAI’s ChatGPT, which many are familiar with today.

“My main mission now is to warn people how dangerous AI could be,” Hinton said when asked about his current role in the tech space. He explained that while some risks were always apparent throughout his career, others only became clear once the technology had advanced significantly. “The idea that they would one day get smarter than us and that we may become irrelevant,” he said, was a realization that came much later.

The two types of risks presented by AI

Later in the interview, Hinton divided the risks posed by AI into two categories. The first involves the misuse of the technology by humans. The second, more alarming, involves AI becoming so intelligent that it determines it no longer needs humans. Hinton warned that although many doubt the second category of risk, it is real—and that if an ‘expert’ claims to have a solution to eliminate it, “they are talking nonsense.”

How AI can threaten the social contract of many societies

There are implications of this risk that many don’t consider, so let’s take a moment to draw them out. In many societies, people earn income through work, which allows them to purchase the means of subsistence (e.g., food, water, shelter, transportation) and certain luxuries (e.g., vacations, electronics, clothing). Governments then tax a portion of that income to fund services like education, infrastructure, and security. But what happens when AI replaces human workers? How do people earn enough to survive, let alone afford the luxuries they’ve grown accustomed to (often without even thinking of them as luxuries)? And at the governmental level, how are public services funded when the tax base shrinks? Will those who remain employed be taxed more?

How AI reduces the number of jobs while making workers more productive

When it comes to the labor market, Hinton explained that AI’s impact will be more akin to the industrial revolution than the digital age. Using bank tellers as an example, he noted that the invention of ATMs didn’t eliminate their jobs—in fact, in the early years, it allowed tellers to focus on more advanced tasks while machines handled basic services. AI, however, will be far more disruptive. Hinton cited his niece, who responds to complaint letters for a healthcare company. Previously, she could respond to five letters an hour. Now, with AI drafting the responses, she can handle double or triple that number, only needing to verify the information. In such cases, AI reduces the demand for labor because the remaining workers become significantly more productive.

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