Microsoft AI chief, Mustafa Suleyman, has warned that artificial intelligence could automate most white-collar jobs within the next 12 to 18 months, raising concerns about widespread job displacement. In an interview with the Financial Times published Wednesday, Suleyman said, “I think that we’re going to have a human-level performance on most, if not all, professional tasks.”
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He specifically highlighted roles such as lawyers, accountants, project managers, and marketing professionals, predicting that AI will fully handle most of their duties in the near term. Suleyman pointed to software engineering as an example, noting that employees are already relying on AI-assisted coding for the majority of their code production, a shift he described as “a quite different relationship to the technology” over the past six months.
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The announcement comes amid broader discussions on the impact of AI on the workforce. Experts like Stuart Russell have warned of potential unemployment rates as high as 80% if AI continues to advance unchecked, affecting a wide spectrum of occupations, including surgeons and CEOs. Similarly, Dario Amodei, CEO of Anthropic, previously suggested that AI could eliminate half of all entry-level white-collar positions, urging transparency about the societal impact of these technologies.
Suleyman’s prediction has drawn political attention. Senator Bernie Sanders called it an “economic earthquake” and reiterated his call for a moratorium on new AI data centers, emphasizing the need for AI to benefit workers, not just tech billionaires. While Sanders’ proposal is unlikely to gain traction, major tech companies have continued to invest heavily in AI infrastructure, supported by government policies.
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Microsoft remains at the forefront of AI adoption, integrating tools such as Copilot and investing in companies like OpenAI and Anthropic. As AI capabilities expand rapidly, the debate over its societal and economic consequences is expected to intensify.