Andy Jassy has said artificial intelligence will reduce the need for humans in many existing roles, while simultaneously creating new categories of work.
In an interview with CNBC, Jassy addressed concerns about widespread layoffs in the tech sector. Although he said he had not fully reviewed the latest workforce cuts announced by Jack Dorsey at Block, he shared his broader view on how AI is reshaping employment.
“I do believe that a lot of the jobs that we’ve thrown human beings at for the last 20 or 30 years, you won’t need as many human beings doing those same jobs,” Jassy said.
At the same time, he argued that technological shifts historically generate new roles. He pointed to cloud solutions architects as an example. The role barely existed 15 years ago, yet today tens of thousands work in that capacity across industries.
AI and White-Collar Anxiety
Jassy’s remarks come amid rising anxiety among white-collar professionals. Block recently announced plans to cut nearly half its workforce, reducing staff from over 10,000 to under 6,000. During its earnings call, Dorsey suggested more companies would pursue efficiency gains through AI adoption.
Earlier this year, Jassy had already warned Amazon employees about AI-driven workforce changes. In a June memo, he stated that broader AI integration would likely reduce Amazon’s corporate headcount over the coming years as automation improves efficiency.
Following that memo, internal employee forums reportedly saw strong reactions, reflecting unease about what AI deployment could mean for long-term job stability.
Automation Beyond Big Tech
The shift is not limited to tech giants. AI-native startups are also restructuring around automation. For instance, AI coding platform Vercel reportedly trained an autonomous agent to handle sales tasks and reduced its sales team from ten people to one.
These examples reinforce a broader transition underway across industries. Companies are re-evaluating which roles require human judgment and which can be automated or augmented by intelligent systems.
What Jobs Could Emerge?
While executives frequently say AI will create new opportunities, specific roles remain unclear. Early speculation around positions like “prompt engineer” has cooled. However, demand has surged for AI engineers, machine learning specialists, infrastructure architects, and professionals focused on training data and model evaluation.
Jassy described the current moment as a transition phase rather than a collapse.
“I also think there are going to be other jobs created, and that has always happened in every technology shift,” he said, emphasizing that workforce evolution accompanies every major technological leap.
Whether the pace of AI-driven change will outstrip job creation remains uncertain. For now, industry leaders frame the shift as a structural transformation rather than a job apocalypse.
Amazon CEO Andy Jassy said that AI would likely remove the need for as many humans in some jobs, and create new roles too. Thos Robinson/Getty Images for The New York Times
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