Jeff Bezos says AI will create labour shortages, not replace humans
“I totally disagree with this point of view. And I think, in fact, AI is going to create a labour shortage,” said Jeff Bezos.
- Jun 18, 2026,
- Updated Jun 18, 2026 1:41 PM IST
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has pushed back against fears that artificial intelligence will make humans redundant, arguing that the technology could instead create a labour shortage by expanding what people and companies are able to do.
Speaking at the VivaTech technology conference in Paris, Bezos offered a strongly optimistic view of AI’s impact on work, even as companies across the world continue to cut jobs after investing heavily in automation and AI tools.
“I know there's a lot of concern that many people have, including many smart people, that AI is going to make humans redundant and so on,” Bezos said. “I totally disagree with this point of view. And I think, in fact, AI is going to create a labour shortage.”
The comments come at a time when AI-driven efficiencies are increasingly being cited by companies, especially in the technology sector, as a reason for workforce reductions. US-based employers announced 97,006 job cuts in May, with AI linked to 40% of the layoffs, according to global outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas.
Public anxiety around the technology has also grown. A Reuters/Ipsos poll this month found that half of Americans fear AI could put them or someone in their household out of work.
Bezos, the world’s fourth-richest person with a net worth of around $250 billion, said people have “endless” things to do and are currently limited by barriers that AI could lower.
His remarks are notable because Amazon itself has been cutting jobs while investing heavily in AI. The company has trimmed about 30,000 corporate roles since late last year, partly due to AI efficiency gains. Amazon CEO Andy Jassy had earlier said increasing automation through AI tools would lead to corporate job losses.
At VivaTech, Bezos also spoke about Prometheus, his new AI startup focused on speeding up physical manufacturing, and Blue Origin, his space company that competes with Elon Musk’s SpaceX.
Bezos said one long-term goal of space exploration should be to move polluting industries away from Earth.
“If space travel gets reliable enough and inexpensive enough, and we can get materials from asteroids and near-Earth objects and the moon, then this garden planet can be returned to its pre-Industrial Revolution state,” Bezos said.
Blue Origin CEO David Limp, who appeared alongside Bezos, said reconstruction of the company’s launch pad for New Glenn rockets has begun in Florida after an explosion in May.
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Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has pushed back against fears that artificial intelligence will make humans redundant, arguing that the technology could instead create a labour shortage by expanding what people and companies are able to do.
Speaking at the VivaTech technology conference in Paris, Bezos offered a strongly optimistic view of AI’s impact on work, even as companies across the world continue to cut jobs after investing heavily in automation and AI tools.
“I know there's a lot of concern that many people have, including many smart people, that AI is going to make humans redundant and so on,” Bezos said. “I totally disagree with this point of view. And I think, in fact, AI is going to create a labour shortage.”
The comments come at a time when AI-driven efficiencies are increasingly being cited by companies, especially in the technology sector, as a reason for workforce reductions. US-based employers announced 97,006 job cuts in May, with AI linked to 40% of the layoffs, according to global outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas.
Public anxiety around the technology has also grown. A Reuters/Ipsos poll this month found that half of Americans fear AI could put them or someone in their household out of work.
Bezos, the world’s fourth-richest person with a net worth of around $250 billion, said people have “endless” things to do and are currently limited by barriers that AI could lower.
His remarks are notable because Amazon itself has been cutting jobs while investing heavily in AI. The company has trimmed about 30,000 corporate roles since late last year, partly due to AI efficiency gains. Amazon CEO Andy Jassy had earlier said increasing automation through AI tools would lead to corporate job losses.
At VivaTech, Bezos also spoke about Prometheus, his new AI startup focused on speeding up physical manufacturing, and Blue Origin, his space company that competes with Elon Musk’s SpaceX.
Bezos said one long-term goal of space exploration should be to move polluting industries away from Earth.
“If space travel gets reliable enough and inexpensive enough, and we can get materials from asteroids and near-Earth objects and the moon, then this garden planet can be returned to its pre-Industrial Revolution state,” Bezos said.
Blue Origin CEO David Limp, who appeared alongside Bezos, said reconstruction of the company’s launch pad for New Glenn rockets has begun in Florida after an explosion in May.
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