Google AI chief says AI will create ‘very valuable’ jobs despite job loss fears

Demis Hassabis

While AI continues to displace human workers, Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis believes the disruption will ultimately give rise to new and highly valuable roles. Speaking at SXSW London on Monday, Hassabis framed the rise of AI as a transformation even more profound than the Industrial Revolution — but one humanity is equipped to handle.

“Humans are infinitely adaptable,” Hassabis said, expressing optimism about the future. “I think new jobs will appear, new very valuable jobs.” Over the next five to ten years, he predicts that AI will “supercharge” technically savvy individuals who embrace and harness the power of emerging tools.

Hassabis described today’s children as the first “AI native” generation — much like their parents grew up with the internet. He recommended students still focus on foundational STEM disciplines, including math, physics, and computer science, to better understand how AI systems work. “It’s still important to understand the fundamentals,” he emphasized.

Despite the optimism, AI is already altering the workforce. Companies like Microsoft, Meta, and even Google are increasingly using AI to write code, and many businesses are slowing down hiring for roles that can now be automated.

At Google’s I/O developer conference last week, both Hassabis and Google cofounder Sergey Brin said Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) — the point at which AI equals or surpasses human intelligence — could arrive as soon as 2030.

Hassabis advised that beyond formal education, people should get hands-on experience with current AI systems. “I’d also be experimenting with all the latest AI systems and tools and seeing what’s the best way of utilising them,” he said, encouraging users to explore and innovate with these technologies.