AI to wipe out white-collar jobs by 2027, warns ex-Google executive Mo Gawdat

Former Google executive Mo Gawdat has issued a grave warning about the future of work, predicting that artificial intelligence (AI) will trigger widespread job losses starting as early as 2027. Gawdat, who previously served as Chief Business Officer at Google X, believes that the rise of AI will disproportionately impact white-collar workers, unlike past technological revolutions that mainly affected manual labor.

Speaking to media outlets including The Diary and Business Insider, Gawdat said society is heading into a difficult 15-year period that could feel like “hell” before the promised benefits of AI begin to materialize. He noted that while his new AI-powered startup Emma.love—focused on emotional support—operates with just three employees, the same platform would have required 350 developers only a few years ago. This stark efficiency shows the unprecedented capabilities of modern AI.

Gawdat warned that AI won’t just replace factory roles—it will render redundant many office jobs such as analysts, coders, lawyers, and even podcasters. He stressed that middle-class professionals will be most affected, potentially collapsing what’s left of economic balance. “There will be no middle class—you’re either in the top 0.1%, or a peasant,” he said, emphasizing the likelihood of deep inequality unless urgent regulatory actions are taken.

Although Gawdat does see a hopeful future after 2040—where humans may focus more on community, love, and purpose instead of material gain—he insists that governments and companies must act now to avoid a societal crisis. He advocates for the introduction of policies like Universal Basic Income (UBI) and strong ethical regulation around AI development. Without proactive measures, he believes the impact of AI will be socially and psychologically devastating, including widespread loneliness, mental health issues, and civil unrest.

Gawdat's predictions are supported by leading voices in the tech world. Dario Amodei, CEO of AI firm Anthropic, has similarly warned of an imminent “white-collar bloodbath,” suggesting up to 50% of entry-level office jobs could vanish within five years. Meanwhile, data from the World Economic Forum reveals that 40% of employers already plan job cuts due to AI. Research from Harvard, MIT, and PwC has also highlighted the growing capacity of AI to handle office tasks, leading to potential wage declines and job polarization.

While institutions like Goldman Sachs and McKinsey foresee trillions added to global GDP through AI, experts caution that these gains will not be evenly distributed. Without fast and fair regulation, AI risks becoming one of the greatest drivers of inequality in modern history.