As artificial intelligence continues to transform the job landscape, DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis has offered a reassuring message to students and young professionals: don’t fear AI—prepare to thrive alongside it.
Speaking at the SXSW London event this week, Hassabis acknowledged the widespread concerns about AI displacing traditional white-collar jobs. However, he emphasized that the ongoing shift will also bring new opportunities. “New jobs will appear — very valuable jobs,” he said, pointing to the next five to ten years as a period of rapid transformation driven by AI.
Hassabis, who leads Google’s advanced AI team behind the Gemini chatbot, believes this technological shift could be more impactful than the Industrial Revolution. Yet, he remains optimistic, saying humans are “infinitely adaptable.”
He urged students to equip themselves with both AI knowledge and a strong foundation in STEM — science, technology, engineering, and mathematics — calling it essential for understanding and innovating with emerging technologies. “It’s still important to understand the fundamentals,” he stressed.
In earlier comments on the Hard Fork podcast and at Google I/O, Hassabis reiterated that AI will likely disrupt some roles but also create more interesting and higher-value jobs. To prepare, he advised Gen Alpha to experiment with AI tools and learn how to use them creatively. “Whatever happens with these AI tools, you’ll be better off understanding how they work,” he said.
With AI already reshaping workspaces—from coding and content creation to customer service—Hassabis encourages the next generation not to resist the change, but to lead it.