Will AI replace all jobs in the future? According to one of the Godfathers of AI, the future seems concerning. Yoshua Bengio, who is often referred to as one of the Godfathers of AI, has warned that it is “only a matter of time” before artificial intelligence gains the capability to replace almost every human job, spanning from desk-based corporate roles to skilled physical trades.
Speaking on a recent episode of The Diary of a CEO podcast, the Turing Award winner expressed that unless researchers hit a “scientific wall” that halts progress, the trajectory toward total AI automation is nearly inevitable.
AI an immediate threat to “cognitive” roles
Bengio highlighted that the most vulnerable positions are currently those he classifies as “cognitive jobs”—the tasks performed primarily behind a keyboard. He noted that while mass unemployment has not fully materialised yet, the “subtle” shift is already underway.
“It’s more a matter of time than if,” Bengio stated during the interview. “Unless we hit a scientific wall that prevents us from making AI smarter and smarter, these systems will be able to do more and more of the work that people do today.”
He explained that companies are already integrating AI into their workflows in ways that may not involve sudden, loud layoffs but rather “quiet automation”—reducing entry-level hiring and shrinking junior positions in favor of AI-driven tools.
No “safety net” in physical trades
While it is common advice for workers to transition into skilled trades like plumbing or electrical work to avoid automation, Bengio is skeptical that these roles offer permanent protection. Although physical jobs may take longer to automate due to the complexity of robotics, he believes the gap is closing.
“If you do a physical job, it’s going to take more time,” Bengio said, echoing a sentiment often shared by fellow AI pioneer Geoffrey Hinton. “But I think it’s only a temporary thing.”
He suggested that as robots are deployed more widely, they will generate massive amounts of training data, rapidly accelerating their ability to perform complex physical maneuvers that once required human dexterity. Bengio, whose research over several decades helped build the foundation for modern neural networks, also admitted to personal regrets regarding his early oversight of the technology’s risks.
“I should have seen this coming much earlier, but I didn’t pay much attention to the potentially catastrophic risks,” he admitted, noting that his concerns intensified with the public release of generative systems like ChatGPT.
His warnings come as recent data indicate that AI-driven automation has already led to over 55,000 job losses in the U.S. alone in 2025. Bengio’s latest statements serve as a stark reminder that the global labor market is on the precipice of a transformation that may leave no sector untouched.
