The ‘Godfather of AI’ Geoffrey Hinton says AI is advancing and wiping out entire job categories silently
An artificial intelligence (AI) expert has shared the jobs he is convinced won’t exist in 24 months due to AI silently wiping out entire job categories. Speaking to podcast host Steven Bartlett in a recent episode of Diary of a CEO, the ‘Godfather of AI’ Geoffrey Hinton spoke about the ‘deadly dangers’ of AI ‘no one is prepared for’.
Geoffrey Hinton is described as a leading computer scientist and cognitive psychologist, widely recognised as the ‘Godfather of AI’ for his pioneering work on neural networks and deep learning. He received the 2018 Turing Award, often called the Nobel Prize of computing. In 2023, he left Google to warn people about the rising dangers of AI.
During the one-and-a-half-hour episode, which has now been watched more than 7.4 million times on YouTube, Bartlett and Hinton discuss why the AI expert believes “there’s a 10–20 per cent chance AI wipes us out”. They also discuss Hinton’s claims that speaking openly about AI got him ‘silenced’. “I left Google because I needed to speak freely about what I believe is an existential threat,” he said.
Hinton also admits feeling ‘regret’ for helping create AI. The pair also touch upon the so-called ‘six deadly threats’ AI poses to humanity right now. Though it is not all bad news, as they also talk about AI’s potential to advance healthcare, boost productivity, and transform education.
One part of the episode that has got many people in the comment section talking is Hinton’s list of jobs he believes won’t require humans in two years’ time, as they’ll be replaced by robots. Hinton warns of AI-driven disruption in the job market and predicts many roles will be largely automated by mid‑2027.
Hinton warns that current AI systems may already possess the building blocks of consciousness. Without urgent global cooperation, he says we may be headed toward uncontrollable outcomes.
What jobs could be replaced by AI?
Jobs based on basic reasoning, writing, and analysis are most at risk, even now, according to Hinton, as. He warns viewers that ‘this isn’t just speculation, it’s already happening’. He added: “The real danger isn’t that AI will fail to do your job. It’s that it will do it better — and cheaper.”
One major company mentioned in the interview reportedly reduced staff from 7,000 to 3,600, and Hinton says that soon, it will be 3,000. In the episode, he shared several professions he says are at the highest risk of being replaced by robots. These include:
- Telemarketers and cold callers
- Junior legal and financial analysts
- Customer service and marketing assistants
Bartlett asked: “Are there any particular industries that you think are most at risk? People talk about the creative industries a lot, knowledge work, and lawyers and accountants and jobs like that.” Hinton said: “Yeah, so that’s why I mentioned plumbers, I think plumbers are less at risk… Someone like a legal assistant, a paralegal, they’re not going to be needed for very long.”
Explaining why, he says AI chatbots and CRM (Customer Relationship Management) automation can manage outbound communications. He also says AI tools are now capable of contract review and data analysis. Regarding customer service and marketing assistance, Hinton says AI systems are taking over repetitive support tasks.
Even Hinton’s niece, who used to write customer responses manually, now uploads complaints to an AI, gets a draft in seconds, reviews and sends. This cuts the time the task takes from 25 minutes to five, he says, adding: “That’s five times more efficient, meaning four out of five humans.”
Hinton’s predictions align with other voices in the AI sphere. Dario Amodei, CEO of Anthropic, warns of rapid job losses among white-collar roles within 18 months. Demis Hassabis, CEO of DeepMind, argues that automation could spark new types of jobs, but that depends on whether society adapts fast enough.
The main driving force behind the shift is the fact that AI and automation are making routine cognitive and administrative roles redundant. Economic incentives are also at play since companies are increasingly choosing AI because it’s ‘faster, cheaper, and doesn’t require benefits’.
What jobs aren’t likely to be replaced by AI?
There are certain jobs, however, that Hinton says are likely to survive and not be replaced by AI. These include ‘essential’ professions that involve complex human interaction. Such as:
- Plumbers
- Nurses
- Teachers
- And any other jobs that require ’empathy, creativity, and judgment’
Near the start of the episode, Bartlett asks: “What would you be saying to people about their career prospects in a world of super intelligence?” Hinton replied: “Train to be a plumber.”
Although many would argue that AI is increasingly capable of handling routine cognitive tasks and, as a result, threatens many current job roles, experts, like Hinton, recommend working alongside AI, not against it, and overseeing it, rather than letting it take full control when it comes to jobs. By leaning into human strengths, like empathy, creativity, and problem-solving, society can pivot into roles where machines cannot replace humans.
“No, I don’t think we can slow it down,” Hinton said. “It’s too good, too useful — in healthcare, warfare, education. No one wants to pause it. Maybe we can’t stop it. But maybe we can build AI that never wants to harm us… Ask what am I doing right now to make myself irreplaceable in a world that doesn’t need me?”