Artificial intelligence is expected to reshape the labor market by changing job tasks, eliminating some roles and creating new opportunities rather than simply replacing workers wholesale.
Coursera Says AI Will Reshape Jobs
Anthony Salcito, senior vice president and president of Enterprise at Coursera Inc (NYSE:COUR), told Benzinga that AI is changing the skills workers need rather than eliminating entire jobs.
"I think skills are being displaced," Salcito said, adding that AI is "reducing the need for some skills, but requiring and amplifying the importance of others."
He said AI will affect specific tasks across most jobs, making workforce development critical for employers, educators and policymakers. The most valuable workers, he said, will "combine AI fluency with sound human judgment."
Workers will need to understand AI tools, evaluate their outputs, validate data, recognize bias and know when human review is necessary.
Salcito also pointed to growing demand for critical thinking, leadership, communication and decision-making skills alongside technical AI abilities. He recommended practical experience and ongoing learning as AI tools evolve.
Microsoft Warns Some Jobs Will Disappear
A Microsoft spokesperson told Benzinga that "When we look at the transformative potential of AI and the current labor market, we believe that some roles will evolve, some will go away, and new jobs will be created."
The spokesperson added, "It is up to organizational leaders, society, and educational systems to help people through this transition."
Steve Hanke Sees AI Creating Jobs
Steve Hanke, Professor of applied economics at Johns Hopkins University, offered a more bullish outlook, telling Benzinga that AI "might just end up being a net job creator" over the next five to 10 years.
Hanke argued that the substantial costs of AI infrastructure, including GPUs, electricity, water and data centers—could limit how quickly AI replaces human labor.
He also cited the Jevons paradox, saying cheaper AI-powered work could increase demand for workers who complement the technology.
Hanke, who also served on President Ronald Reagan’s Council of Economic Advisers, said routine back-office jobs in finance, insurance, retail and media face the greatest displacement risk, while AI, cybersecurity, software, digital infrastructure and energy could create new opportunities.
He also said AI could help startups by handling work they previously could not afford.
AI Job Debate
Earlier, Nvidia Corp. (NASDAQ:NVDA) CEO Jensen Huang rejected mass AI job-loss predictions.
Silicon Valley investor Vinod Khosla predicted AI and robotics could perform 80% of jobs by 2030.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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