As artificial intelligence continues to reshape the boundaries of productivity, its potential impact on the labor market is becoming increasingly evident. Recently, Dario Amodei, CEO of Anthropic, issued a serious warning in his latest policy article: the large-scale job losses caused by AI may not be a short-term pain, but rather an inevitable structural consequence of the technology's underlying mechanisms.

Amodei pointed out that the essence of artificial intelligence lies in replicating and extending human cognitive abilities. If AI systems are designed to take over more intellectual labor, then the resulting unemployment issues are not merely due to poor business management or industry cycles, but are inherent characteristics of technological advancement. He had previously predicted that half of entry-level white-collar jobs could be affected within five years, and the unemployment rate across industries could rise to 10% to 20%. Therefore, he urged society not to ignore these risks any longer and to face this long-term challenge directly.

Regarding the changes in the future labor market, Amodei proposed an "impact mitigation and shared benefits" framework. In the short term, he advocated that the government should strengthen monitoring and data collection of the job market, and improve relevant policies, such as providing salary protection for workers who have been forced to accept lower-paying jobs due to AI, while using tax incentives to encourage companies to retain employees and establishing a more efficient system for vocational training and employment matching.

In a more profound sense, Amodei believes that if AI leads to a permanent decline in demand for human labor, the government must implement more radical social security policies. He suggested implementing long-term security solutions such as a universal basic income by taxing AI-related companies and increasing capital gains taxes, and even proposed setting up a national capital account so that society can collectively share the vast wealth created by technological progress.

Notably, the narrative of leading figures in the tech industry regarding the impact of AI is undergoing a subtle shift. Including Amodei and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, industry leaders have moved from solely warning about unemployment risks to exploring how to ensure that workers and society can share the benefits of technological advances. Although this shift in perspective coincides with several AI companies preparing for IPOs, how to ensure the rights of those who cannot directly benefit from AI growth has become a critical question that the tech industry and policymakers must jointly address in this era.