Researchers at artificial intelligence (AI) startup Anthropic have warned that humanity was in for a 'terrible decade' ahead as the technology continues to replace workers through automation. Anthropic's Sholto Douglas said even if current AI progress stalls, there would be a big drop in a number of white-collar workers over the next few years
"There is this whole spectrum of crazy futures. But the one that I feel we're almost guaranteed to get, this is a strong statement to make, is one where, at the very least, you get a drop in white-collar workers at some point in the next five years," Mr Doughlas said, speaking to AI podcaster Dwarkesh Patel..
"I think it's very likely in two, but it seems almost overdetermined in five. The current suite of algorithms is sufficient to automate white-collar work provided you have enough of the right kinds of data."
Mr Douglas said this scenario could lead to a "pretty terrible decade" before things start to improve for the better.
Trenton Bricken, a member of the technical staff at Anthropic, added: “We should expect to see them automated within the next five years.”
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End of white-collar jobs
Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei has echoed a similar sentiment, stating that governments across the world were downplaying the threat when AI use could lead to a significant spike in unemployment numbers.
"We, as the producers of this technology, have a duty and an obligation to be honest about what is coming. I don't think this is on people's radar," said Mr Amodei.
According to the Anthropic boss, unemployment could increase by 10 per cent to 20 per cent over the next five years, with most of the people 'unaware' about what was coming.
"Most of them are unaware that this is about to happen. It sounds crazy, and people just don't believe it," he said.
The 42-year-old CEO added that AI companies and the governments needed to stop "sugarcoating" the risks of mass job elimination in fields such as technology, finance, law, and consulting.
"It's a very strange set of dynamics where we're saying: 'You should be worried about where the technology we're building is going.'"
