Scott Galloway says AI job loss fears are overstated

In short: Scott Galloway argues that fears of an AI-driven job collapse are exaggerated, even though some jobs may shrink in the near term.

What's going on

Scott Galloway says the popular story that AI will wipe out huge numbers of jobs is overstated. He expects real disruption, but thinks the longer-term effect will be more jobs, not fewer. His reasoning is that AI can raise productivity (doing the same work faster), which can lead to new companies and more hiring, like how better tools in the past often created new kinds of work.

He also suggests public anxiety about mass unemployment is being amplified by some AI executives. He says scary narratives can help justify big spending and support high company valuations (what investors think a company is worth).

Galloway points to several labor market signals to back up his view. He cites U.S. unemployment at about 4.5%, and youth unemployment slightly below historical averages. He also notes that new business creation per person has roughly doubled over the last decade, and that job listings in some AI-exposed fields have held up, or even risen in 2026, including radiologists and coders.

At the same time, he acknowledges that some areas could see a meaningful short-term dip. He specifically flags customer service and some legal work, where tasks can be more routine and easier to automate (like using software to handle common questions).

What to watch

The open question is not whether AI will change work, but where the pain and the new opportunities show up first. Galloway’s comments suggest gains may be strongest in skilled trades and hands-on infrastructure work, which could help some young men. But the available evidence does not clearly support a broad “renaissance of meaning” for young men, which is more speculative than proven.

Source: NYTimes