Workers, don't be afraid! Jensen Huang: Only one type of person will be replaced and unemployed by AI

Fast Technology reports on April 2 that, in response to the widespread AI-related job loss anxiety among people in the global workplace, NVIDIA founder and CEO Jensen Huang gave a clear answer on the latest episode of the podcast 《LexFridmanPodcast》。

He said that the core purpose of work, and the tools for getting the work done, are two different things. AI will only change the way work is done, not directly erase professions. The people who will truly be left behind by the times are never those whose jobs are taken by AI, but those who refuse to use AI.

Huang acknowledged that public concerns about AI triggering waves of layoffs are completely understandable, but technological progress has always changed work processes and the boundaries of capabilities, rather than directly eliminating an entire profession. He used his own 34-year experience leading a technology company as an example: over decades, the tools he uses day to day have undergone dramatic changes, yet the role of CEO itself has never disappeared due to tool iterations.

He specifically cited the radiology industry to support his point. Previously, the computer science community had widely predicted that radiology would be among the first professions to be automated by AI, since computer vision can achieve superhuman levels in image recognition.

But the reality is exactly the opposite. Since 2020, AI reading tools have matured rapidly. Today, nearly all radiology platforms have already integrated AI-driven capabilities, and yet the number of radiologists worldwide has not fallen but increased. AI has greatly improved reading efficiency and diagnostic accuracy, enabling doctors to serve more patients. Meanwhile, the rapid expansion of demand for diagnosis and treatment has instead created more labor shortages. Ironically, the pessimistic predictions from back then caused many people to avoid this field, further worsening the shortage of staff in the industry.

Huang emphasized that AI’s impact spans the entire industry. Whether it’s office workers, professional technical roles, or blue-collar areas like agriculture and carpentry, practitioners should learn to use AI tools as soon as possible.

He even said plainly that when college students graduate, they must have AI application skills, and when he hires, he would also prioritize candidates who understand AI. He has consistently urged that the public should not use doomsday-style rhetoric to hype up fears of AI; rather, they should recognize its true nature. AI is simply an upgraded production tool, not some mysterious, unknown threat.