White collar jobs at more risk than skilled job due to automation says godfather of AI – Geoffrey Hinton in a podcast on The Diary of a CEO.

June 17, 2025

Speaking on the Diary of a CEO podcast, Geoffrey Hinton—often dubbed the “Godfather of AI”—highlighted the risk that automation poses to white-collar employment. “For mundane intellectual labour, AI is just going to replace everybody,” he said.

Geoffrey Hinton, often referred to as the “Godfather of AI”, has raised fresh concerns over artificial intelligence triggering mass job losses, warning that many white-collar roles could soon be replaced. Speaking on the “Diary of a CEO” podcast, Hinton said that while AI was advancing rapidly across multiple domains, certain physical occupations remained safer—for now.

Hinton, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2024 for his contributions to machine learning, identified professions such as paralegals and call centre operators as especially vulnerable. “I’d be terrified if I had a job as a call centre operator,” he remarked, noting the rapid pace at which AI is transforming customer service roles.

He explained that AI’s scalability means fewer people will be needed for tasks once handled by large teams. “That means one person will do what used to be the work of 10 people,” Hinton said.

Suggesting where job security may lie, Hinton pointed to roles that require physical manipulation—areas where AI still lags behind. “It’s going to be a long time before it’s as good at physical manipulation. So, a good bet would be to be a plumber,” he advised.

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