Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis has a message for companies blaming AI for mass layoffs
Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis has hit out on companies that have laid off workers as they shift focus towards AI. According to the Google AI chief, companies should instead focus on increasing productivity with AI tools. He also claimed that comments over AI replacing workers may have ulterior motives.
AI is changing the world we live in. And the biggest impact may have arguably been on the job sector, particularly for tech companies. Meta is the latest company to cut thousands of jobs as it focusses more on AI. However, Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis has pushed back against this growing trend of AI-related layoffs. He believes that such decisions are likely a result of “a lack of imagination.”
During Google’s I/O event on Tuesday, Hassabis unveiled Gemini 3.5 Flash, which can handle much more complex coding tasks. However, for Demis, this does not mean that this model will lead to a reduced need for coders. He told Wired, “I have no idea why people are going around talking with certainty about that.”
In recent months, the tech industry has witnessed widespread layoffs. The likes of Amazon, Oracle, Cisco, have all laid off thousands of workers. Though Demis hinted that perhaps companies may be using it as an excuse. He added, “Perhaps there is an ulterior motive for putting those messages out; raising money or whatever.”
Previously, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman had claimed that companies were increasingly using AI as an excuse for layoffs, something he referred to as “AI washing.”
Google DeepMind unlikely to follow AI layoff trend
Demis insisted that for Google and DeepMind, productivity was more important than simply saving costs by reducing headcount. He said, “If engineers are becoming three or four times more productive, then we just [want to] do three or four times more stuff.”
The Google DeepMind chief claimed that as AI gets better at coding, he can have his engineers work on new projects. Hassabis added, “I have a million ideas, from lab drug discovery to game design. I'd love to have some free engineers to go and do those kinds of things.”
On the topic of companies wanting to simply replace developers with AI, Demis reckoned that they lacked the long-term vision. He explained, “I think it's a lack of imagination—and a lack of understanding of what's really going to happen.”
Keep in mind that earlier this year, Demis had suggested that AI could have an impact on entry-level jobs. He said during the World Economic Forum, "I think we're going to see this year the beginnings of maybe it impacting the junior level.” Hassabis added, "I think there is some evidence maybe like a slowdown in hiring in that."
Many AI experts, including Anthropic’s Dario Amodei and Microsoft’s Mustafa Suleyman, have also hinted that AI may take over a majority of white collar jobs from humans soon.