Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang rejected the idea that layoffs are mainly driven by AI, calling it a “lazy” narrative used by some leaders to justify job cuts. He warned that AI should be discussed with balance, pointing to recent layoff examples across industries and
Jensen Huang didn’t mince words when asked about executives tying layoffs to artificial intelligence.
In an interview with Channel NewsAsia, the Nvidia cofounder and CEO said the story he hears from some leaders is “just too lazy.” Huang argued that AI has only recently become widely productive, making it hard to accept claims that job cuts happened because of the technology “two years ago.”
“AI has just arrived,” Huang said. “How is it possible they’re already losing jobs?. How is it possible that AI became productive and useful only six months ago. and they were somehow laying people off two years ago because of AI?” He added: “It doesn’t make any sense… It was just a way for them to sound smart. and I really hate that.”.
He also pushed back on the way these decisions are being explained to workers. “I think we’re scaring people, and that’s irresponsible,” Huang said. “I think we should tell a balanced story, a balanced narrative about the potential of this technology.”
Huang’s comments land as AI-linked layoffs have become a recurring feature in business headlines. Standard Chartered CEO Bill Winters drew backlash after announcing the bank would cut 7,000 jobs over the next four years, framing the move as a replacement for “lower-value human capital” with tech.
Just last week, Meta laid off 10% of its workforce as it worked to offset heavy spending on AI initiatives.
Outside corporate announcements, the timing has fed the debate. One report from outplacement and executive coaching firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas found that AI drove 25% of job cuts in March.
Labor experts, however, have argued for months that AI can function as a convenient scapegoat. They suggest job cuts may be driven by more familiar pressures such as poor profit margins. with AI offered as a more modern justification. An in-depth analysis published last October by the Brookings Institution and Yale University’s Budget Lab found that the share of jobs at high risk of being replaced by AI had remained fairly steady since ChatGPT’s launch in 2022.
Even as the layoffs debate plays out, companies are moving ahead with AI adoption. A new survey by consulting firm Mercer found that 99% of CEOs are prepared for AI-driven layoffs in the short term. The focus of impact appears to skew toward people at the start of their careers: young workers who are just beginning their professional lives.
Plans to cut junior roles are also reportedly widening. A recent report by consulting firm Oliver Wyman found that the share of CEOs planning to cut junior roles over the next two years more than doubled, rising from 17% to 43%.
In the interview, Huang returned to a theme he has made before: people won’t lose jobs to AI—at least not automatically—but rather to those who figure out how to use it better. “I would say to the people who are worried about losing their jobs to AI, to learn AI,” Huang said.
“It’s more likely that AI will elevate your job,” he continued. “Try to engage [in] it. Don’t be afraid of it. Of course, the industry has to be really thoughtful about building AI in a safe way and a guardrail way and to make sure that it’s deployed in a proper way.”
The message from Huang is essentially a warning about narratives: AI may change how work gets done. but he argues it shouldn’t be treated as a catch-all excuse behind every round of layoffs. And while anxiety is spreading among workers. he believes the people who move forward will be those who learn to work with the technology instead of fearing it.
“Everybody has to be part of this,” he concluded.
Jensen Huang Nvidia AI layoffs job cuts Standard Chartered Meta layoffs Mercer survey Oliver Wyman report Brookings Yale Budget Lab Challenger Gray & Christmas