Tech leaders are divided over whether artificial intelligence will bring about a job apocalypse or a utopia of zero jobs and widespread high incomes. Now, Google CEO Sundar Pichai has joined the fray. In his view, everyone’s work can be affected by new technologies—even his own. People just have to adapt accordingly.
“Artificial intelligence is the most profound technology ever created by humanity, and it has the potential to deliver extraordinary benefits that we must overcome in society,” Pichai said in a recent interview with the BBC.
The CEO has cutting-edge views on how artificial intelligence will change the world; last month, Google launched its latest model, the Gemini 3, to rave reviews. The innovation, seen as an improvement over Gemini 2.5, released about eight months ago, has ignited optimism among investors and analysts, who have called the chatbot “the favorite model commonly available today.” As technology continues to advance, Pichai emphasized that it will create new opportunities while also acknowledging that some roles will be phased out.
“It will evolve and transform certain jobs,” Pichai continued. “People need to adapt, and then it’s going to impact some jobs in certain areas. So, as a society, I think we need to have those conversations.”
One might think that only certain entry-level roles will be automated, such as customer service representatives or junior analysts, but Pichai firmly believes that all roles will be impacted by technology. He even said that his job as CEO is “one of the easiest things” for artificial intelligence to one day take over. No industry or senior role is out of touch with the age of artificial intelligence, but those who embrace these tools will be the ones who succeed.
“I think people who learn to adopt and adapt to AI will do better,” Pichai continued. “Whether you want to be a teacher or a doctor, all of these professions will exist, but the people who excel in each profession are the ones who learn how to use these tools.”
Artificial intelligence is killing jobs, but Pichai says kids shouldn’t change course
Young, budding professionals may hear Pichai’s prediction and question whether they have chosen the right career path. After all, they are about to leave college and enter an uncertain labor market.
Since ChatGPT went public, job postings across the U.S. have dropped about 32% as companies deploy artificial intelligence tools to improve efficiency, according to the Federal Reserve. The share of Gen Z employees at large publicly traded tech companies has been cut in half in the past two years; once lucrative career paths, such as computer programming, have hit employment lows; and humanoid robots are now even being designed to take on manual jobs.
This dire situation is forcing many aspiring Gen Zers to reconsider whether an expensive college degree is worth their shrinking expenses, or even turn to blue-collar careers that appear more immune to the impact of artificial intelligence. However, the Google CEO claims that no golden college major or career is guaranteed to be safe from the impact of artificial intelligence; people should pursue whatever career they want, no matter how technology changes the work environment.
“Based on what I’ve seen, I wouldn’t change what we’ve been thinking all along,” Pichai said of how parents should advise their children. “I think there are going to be all kinds of disciplines that end up being important. I would encourage the next generation to embrace this technology – learn to use it in what you do.”
This story originally appeared on Fortune.com
