Dario Amodei warns AI will eliminate entry-level jobs, Box CEO says it will actually open more engineering roles
As AI tools become more capable and widely used, top tech leaders are divided over their impact, with Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei warning of a huge loss of entry-level jobs, while Box CEO Aaron Levy argues that the same technology could create new demand for skilled professionals.
Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei recently reignited the debate over AI and jobs, warning that AI could wipe out a large portion of entry-level white-collar roles in the coming years. But around the same time, Box CEO Aaron Levy has offered a completely different view, arguing that AI could actually create more demand for skilled engineers and domain experts rather than reduce opportunities.
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Amodei’s concerns come at a time when the job market is already showing signs of stress. The latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, released in early February, showed that job vacancies in the US fell to 6.54 million at the end of December, the lowest level since September 2020. The data bolstered Amodei’s warning that AI-driven disruption could come faster than many expect.
Just a few weeks ago, Amodei laid out his thoughts in a 20,000-word essay titled The Adolescence of Technology. In it, he made one of his most direct predictions to date, writing, “AI will disrupt 50 percent of entry-level white-collar jobs in 1-5 years, while also thinking we could have AI that is more capable than everyone else in just 1-2 years.” This statement became heavy for the labor market which is already facing uncertainty.
Amodei, who co-founded Anthropic in 2021, has repeatedly argued that the pace of AI progress sets it apart from previous technological changes. “The pace of progress in AI is much faster than previous technological revolutions,” they wrote, adding that this pace could make adaptation “abnormally painful” for workers. According to him, the challenge is not just about specific roles disappearing, but also about how quickly people may be forced to rethink their careers.
In the same essay, Amodei described AI as much broader than task-specific automation. He warned that technology is acting as a “generic labor substitute for humans”, capable of touching professions “ranging from law to finance and consulting”.
Box CEO says the opposite, suggests AI will help increase demand for engineers
However, not everyone in the tech industry agrees with Amodei’s gloomy outlook. Writing on X, Box CEO Aaron Levy argued that higher productivity from AI could change the equation in many businesses. He suggested that when AI tools allow experts to increase their output “by orders of magnitude”, the demand for those experts may actually increase rather than fall.
Levy pointed to software engineering as an obvious example. He explained that, until now, many companies were not able to hire engineers because the impact of an individual engineer was limited. With AI agents increasing productivity five or tenfold, building software teams becomes possible for far more organizations. As a result, he believes demand for engineers could increase in areas where there previously was little or no access to such talent.
According to Levi, this impact will not be limited to tech companies. IT teams may need more engineers as they automate internal workflows. Pharmaceutical companies may need more software talent for complex data analysis. Even traditional physical products are becoming more digital, bringing with them engineering expertise. Small startups that once had no real chance at building sophisticated software may now be able to do so.
He extended this argument beyond engineering. Levy said creative fields like video editing could see higher demand at the top level, as cheaper production enables more high-quality content. As contracts become more complex and specialized, the legal work may also expand. He wrote, “There has never been a better time in history to become an expert in your field.” He further said that the demand for deeper expertise is likely to increase.
