Jeff Bezos, billionaire founder of Amazon, expressed a positive outlook, confident that artificial intelligence (AI) will not replace humans but will create new opportunities that lead to a labor shortage. This contrasts with rising global layoff statistics due to AI. He also shared his vision to advance the Blue Origin project, aiming to establish permanent human settlements on the Moon to move polluting industries off Earth.
Jeff Bezos, billionaire founder of Amazon and the world's fourth richest person, spoke at Europe's largest technology exhibition, VivaTech, in Paris, France. He shared a strongly positive perspective on the future of artificial intelligence (AI), dismissing societal fears that the technology will cause massive human job losses.
Bezos stated that AI will not cause unemployment; on the contrary, it will help break through human limitations and obstacles, leading to a massive increase in labor demand. "I know many people, including very smart ones, worry that AI will replace humans and make us obsolete, but I completely disagree. I believe AI will actually cause labor shortages," he said.
Bezos' remarks run completely counter to current realities. Reports from Challenger, Gray & Christmas indicate that in May alone, the U.S. announced 97,006 job layoffs, with 40% linked to AI. Even Amazon itself recently cut over 30,000 corporate jobs since late last year. Amazon's current CEO, Andy Jassy, has acknowledged that automation and AI have driven these reductions.
Bezos' views also conflict with those of other key political and tech figures, such as former UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, now a Microsoft advisor, and AI leader Anthropic, who warn that AI severely impacts career opportunities for younger generations. Similarly, the UK's Trades Union Congress (TUC) cautions that AI may repeat Industrial Revolution-era disasters, enriching shareholders while devaluing or displacing workers.
During his appearance, Bezos also spoke about "Prometheus," his new AI startup focused on accelerating industrial manufacturing processes, and provided updates on Blue Origin, his space technology company competing with SpaceX. He outlined a vision to restore Earth's purity by relocating all polluting industries off the planet.
Bezos emphasized that the Moon is humanity's most natural starting point for expansion. He said, "We are going to the Moon to establish permanent settlements, not just to visit," and hopes to use technologies like water electrolysis to convert lunar resources into rocket fuel.
Dave Limp, CEO of Blue Origin, who appeared alongside Bezos, revealed that the company is rushing repairs on the "New Glenn" rocket launchpad in Florida following a major explosion during ground tests in May. He confirmed that critical infrastructure was undamaged and expects to resume rocket launches before the end of the year, directly competing with Elon Musk, who recently took SpaceX public and plans to build a city on Mars.
Beyond Bezos' highlights, this year's VivaTech event clearly demonstrated that AI has moved beyond just computer chatbots into the real world through "humanoid robots."
A standout attraction was the humanoid robot from Unitree, partnered with French neuro-AI company HABS, showcasing technology that allows humans to control robot movements directly through "brain signals" without speech—simply by wearing a headband equipped with an EEG system. This points to a future where humanoid robots will collaborate extensively with humans in healthcare, manufacturing, and services.