The Brief
A new study shows Arizona ranks as a top state for anxiety over AI's impact on jobs, as tech CEOs warn of significant workforce changes and potential widespread job loss.
In response, Arizona State University is updating its curriculum with new degrees and courses to help students prepare for a changing job market, with some experts arguing that people who know how to use AI will be more valuable than the technology itself.
PHOENIX - Arizona ranks 10th in the nation for anxiety over artificial intelligence, according to a new study, as tech leaders warn of its potential to significantly disrupt the workforce.
What we know
The head of Ford has warned that AI could eliminate 50% of white-collar jobs, a sentiment echoed by other top CEOs. Dario Amodei, CEO of AI company Anthropic, recently told CNN the shift could happen within five years, and warned that AI could cause a spike in unemployment to between 10% and 20%.
"Compared to previous technology changes, I'm a little more worried about the labor impact simply because it’s happening so fast, that, yes, people will adapt, but they may not adapt fast enough," Amodei said.
A Microsoft study found that 40 jobs, including translators, sales and customer service representatives, face significant disruption from AI. This has left some students at Arizona State University concerned about their chosen fields.
"I’m a criminal justice major and they are saying that AI might take out lawyers," one ASU student said. Another expressed concerns about "AI-generated broadcasters" affecting her goal of becoming an on-camera journalist.
Local perspective
Despite the warnings, ASU students say they are not taking a dystopian view of the future.
"We’ve been talking about that in class, you know our professors kind of addressed that saying that we want it to be a tool that helps us rather than hurts us," a student said.
Tech expert Ken Colburn of Data Doctors agreed, stating that AI is targeting entry-level, repetitive jobs.
"AI is not going to take your job today. What is going to take your job today is somebody, a human that knows how to use AI, versus a human that doesn’t," Colburn said.
ASU is already updating its curriculum, launching new AI degrees and courses to help students prepare for the changing workforce.
"It’s actually pretty crazy, because as a freshman starting college, I have no idea what my senior year is going to look like," another student said.
ASU professor Hasan Davulcu said that if AI does eliminate a large number of jobs, the cause won't be because it's inevitable. He said the blame would fall on "the failure of corporate leadership" that lacks the foresight to reinvest and revitalize their organizations to fully harness the AI revolution.
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