Artificial intelligence is rapidly changing the future of jobs across various industries. Many experts and tech leaders are also giving their viewpoints on this issue, with some saying AI will eliminate all white-collar jobs, and some saying employees not using AI will be removed.
In one such discussion, Replit CEO Amjad Masad, while speaking in an interview with Jack Kneel, has offered his take on what kind of career options could lead to wealth in the age of AI. Instead of naming conventional professions like software engineers or data scientists, Amjad Masad argued that the biggest financial opportunities will come from ownership rather than salaries.
What did Amjad Masad say exactly?
He said the original way to wealth is in creating or owning things rather than simply working for a salary at the start of the month.
In his view, the traditional model of relying on high salaries may not offer the same long-term financial upside in a world increasingly driven by technology and automation.
According to Amjad Masad, the most incentivized path in the AI era will be to become an entrepreneur. He said people who create businesses and build products are far more likely to accumulate wealth because they own a part of what they build.
He said, “Entrepreneur like my mindset has always been about building wealth as opposed to getting a salary, right?” Masad said during the conversation. He explained that ownership creates long-term value, whereas salaries generally provide short-term income.
Other tech leaders are also of the same view
Amjad Masad’s statement has come at a time when Big Tech leaders are offering contradictory viewpoints on careers in an AI-driven economy.
Like Zoho founder Sridhar Vembu, for instance, recently argued that some professions may remain relevant precisely because they are not driven by money or productivity metrics.
In a post on X, Vembu suggested that activities rooted in care, culture, and community, such as teaching children, caring for the elderly, farming, or pursuing classical arts, could continue to hold meaning even if AI transforms traditional white-collar work.
Apart from Sridhar Vembu, Tesla CEO Elon Musk has also previously imagined a future where advanced AI and robotics could make work optional, allowing people to spend their time on hobbies or creative pursuits.
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, however, believes AI will transform jobs rather than eliminate them entirely, with humans focusing on more creative and complex tasks while machines handle routine work.