Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has said artificial intelligence will ultimately lead to labour shortages rather than widespread unemployment, pushing back against growing fears that AI will replace human workers.
Speaking at the VivaTech conference in Paris, Bezos said he disagreed with predictions that AI would make humans “redundant”, arguing instead that it would unlock new economic activity and increase demand for labour.
“I totally disagree with this point of view. And I think, in fact, AI is going to create a labour shortage,” he said.
Bezos’ comments come at a time when companies across the tech sector have announced major job cuts while accelerating investment in AI systems.
According to a report from Challenger, Gray and Christmas, US-based employers announced 97,000 job cuts in May, with around 40% linked to AI-related restructuring.
A separate Reuters/Ipsos poll found that about half of Americans believe AI could put them or someone in their household out of work, reflecting rising public anxiety over automation.
Major firms, including Amazon, have already reduced tens of thousands of corporate roles in recent years, with executives citing efficiency gains from AI tools and automation.
Bezos argued that human societies are constrained not by a lack of jobs, but by barriers that prevent new kinds of work from emerging.
He said AI would reduce those barriers, enabling “endless” opportunities across sectors by improving productivity and creating demand in new areas of the economy.
His remarks come amid broader pushback against AI adoption from labour groups, creative industries, and younger workers entering the job market, who have raised concerns about displacement and wage pressure.
Bezos also used the appearance to highlight his space company Blue Origin, saying advances in space technology could eventually allow heavy industry to move off Earth.
He suggested that asteroid and lunar resources could reduce environmental pressure on the planet if space travel becomes cheaper and more reliable.
Blue Origin CEO David Limp also confirmed reconstruction work on the company’s New Glenn launch pad in Florida is underway following a recent explosion, as the firm continues development of its heavy-lift rocket programme.
Iran has warned it will retaliate against any attacks on its infrastructure, saying Israel "will not be spared", according to state media. Meanwhile, ...
Chinese President Xi Jinping has urged China and North Korea to strengthen cooperation and maintain "strategic resolve" amid what he described as grow...
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Thursday that his recent talks with U.S. President Donald Trump would likely produce a “positive out...
Iran has warned it will retaliate against any attacks on its infrastructure, saying Israel "will not be spared", according to state media. Meanwhile, a U.S. official said technical talks with Tehran were continuing.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has urged China and North Korea to strengthen cooperation and maintain "strategic resolve" amid what he described as growing global instability. He made the remarks during talks with North Korean Premier Pak Thae-song in Beijing on Friday.
The Washington Agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan has sparked a mix of hope, doubt, and cautious realism among Armenians.
Documentary filmmaker Mikael Silkeberg has said that making a film exploring connections between Scandinavia and Azerbaijan helped him better understand his own mixed Nordic identity.
It has been a punishing week for large parts of China, and forecasters warn the worst may not be over. After Typhoon Maysak left a trail of destruction and at least 23 people dead, Super Typhoon Bavi is now threatening the country's eastern coast.
At least 12 people have been killed in forest fires in Almeria in southern Spain, Andalucía’s emergency agency has said, as firefighters continue efforts to put out the blaze.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that the memorandum of understanding signed with Iran to end the conflict was "over", adding he did not want to engage with Tehran, calling the Iranian leadership "sick people".
The death toll from Venezuela's twin earthquakes has risen to 3,811, according to figures released by National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez on Wednesday.
The U.S. military said on Wednesday it launched fresh strikes on Iran to keep the Strait of Hormuz open to shipping, triggering Iranian attacks on Kuwait and Bahrain in the latest escalation to derail efforts to end the war.
China has approved fast-fashion retailer Shein's long-awaited initial public offering (IPO) in Hong Kong, clearing the way for the company to pursue a stock market listing after previous attempts in the U.S. and London failed.
European carmakers have urged the European Union to make sure new “Made in EU” rules do not put existing investments in Türkiye and Morocco at risk.
Microsoft is expected to announce a new round of job cuts as early as next week as the technology giant looks to reduce costs, according to reports.
A Swedish court has ordered Alphabet-owned Google to pay about $1.5 billion in antitrust damages to price comparison platform PriceRunner, in one of Europe's largest competition-related awards against a major technology company.
U.S. President Donald Trump earned more than $1bn from cryptocurrency-related business ventures last year, according to his mandatory 2025 financial disclosure.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment