Will AI take away jobs in the future? According to Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis, the answer is worryingly affirmative. Hassabis predicts a major disruption in jobs over the next five years and urges the young generations to get ready for navigating the constantly changing world.
While expressing his views on the ‘Hard Fork’ podcast, Hassabis has talked a great deal about how crucial artificial intelligence is to our world and how it is bound to change the job prospects of future generations. “Over the next 5 to 10 years, I think we’re going to find what normally happens with big new technology shifts, which is that some jobs get disrupted. But new, more valuable, usually more interesting jobs get created,” says Hassabis in the podcast
AI to define our future
Hassabis went on to say that younger generations now have a greater need to familiarise themselves with AI tools and concepts. He says that students need to understand how these AI tools work and function, and everything else that can be done with these tools. A change in mindset for university students is required and Hassabis suggests they should aspire to become ninjas with AI.
“Just as the internet shaped millennials and smartphones defined Gen Z, generative AI is the hallmark of Gen Alpha,” he adds. He urges Gen Alpha to embrace it as early as they can to have a head start in the modern world that’s embracing generative AI faster than anyone’s anticipation.
That said, he also recommends having a strong foundation in basic education, especially in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths). On top of that, students need to work on meta skills like creativity, adaptability and resilience.
“These are the capabilities that will help the next generation thrive. Getting good at the basics of STEM is still crucial, but equally important is developing the mindset to navigate constant change.”
The insight is crucial ever since Google revealed a host of big upgrades for its AI products and services at the I/O 2025 event, the highlight being the Veo 3 AI video generator powering Google Flow. As AI tools take to movie production, Hassabis’ words of wisdom hold more relevance than ever.
