Amazon Web Services CEO Matt Garman warns that replacing junior employees with AI is the "dumbest thing I've ever heard"

Matt Garman, CEO of Amazon Web Services, has strongly criticized the idea of replacing junior employees with AI, calling it the "dumbest thing I've ever heard." Speaking on the "Matthew Berman" podcast, Garman warned that eliminating entry-level roles could damage long-term talent development and weaken future innovation pipelines. He emphasized that junior workers are among the most cost-effective employees and are often the most adaptable to new tools, including AI. "They're the least expensive employees you have. They're the most leaned into your AI tools," Garman said. He questioned the logic of cutting them now, asking what happens a decade from now when companies lack a workforce with hands-on experience and problem-solving skills. Garman stressed the importance of hiring recent graduates and investing in their growth. He urged companies to continue teaching young professionals how to build software, analyze problems, and follow industry best practices. He also challenged the notion that expertise in a single skill will remain valuable for decades. "If you spend all of your time learning one specific thing and you're like, 'That's the thing I'm going to be expert at for the next 30 years,' I can promise you that's not going to be valuable 30 years from now," he said. Instead, he highlighted critical thinking, creativity, and adaptability as the most essential skills in an AI-driven future. These qualities, he argued, are not tied to any particular degree or technical specialty. Garman’s comments come amid growing debate over AI’s impact on early-career jobs. Tech leaders like OpenAI’s Sam Altman have noted that AI agents are already performing tasks similar to those of junior employees—assigning work, reviewing outputs, and providing feedback. Google’s Jeff Dean has predicted AI could soon match the capabilities of a junior software engineer, possibly within a year. Data from Goldman Sachs supports concerns about job displacement, showing that the tech unemployment rate for 20- to 30-year-olds has risen nearly 3 percentage points since early 2024—more than four times the national average. The firm estimates that generative AI could eventually replace 6% to 7% of all US jobs. Not everyone agrees that junior roles should be eliminated. GitHub CEO Thomas Dohmke pointed out that younger engineers often bring fresh ideas and are more open to adopting new technologies. "They get it because they are taking this with an open mind. They don't have the, 'This is how we've always done it,'" he said, noting that today’s students are already early adopters of AI tools. Garman and Amazon have not responded to requests for further comment.