Leaders from two of the world’s most prominent AI companies, Google DeepMind and Anthropic, have acknowledged that artificial intelligence is already beginning to affect junior roles within their organizations. During a joint appearance at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Tuesday, DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis and Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei shared concerns about the accelerating impact of AI on entry-level and mid-level positions. Hassabis noted that while widespread job displacement hasn’t yet occurred, there are early signs of change. “I think we’re going to see this year the beginnings of maybe it impacting the junior level,” he said. He pointed to a noticeable slowdown in hiring for entry-level roles and internships as potential indicators of AI’s growing influence. Amodei, who previously warned that AI could eliminate up to half of all entry-level white-collar jobs and drive unemployment as high as 20%, reiterated his concerns. “Now I think maybe we're starting to see just the little beginnings of it, in software and coding,” he said. He added that within Anthropic itself, he can already envision a future where fewer people are needed at both junior and intermediate levels, not more. Both executives emphasized that the shift isn’t just theoretical—it’s already being felt in day-to-day operations. They are actively considering how to manage the implications within their companies, including restructuring workflows and redefining roles in an AI-driven environment. Amodei stressed that the pace of change is exponential and that society may not have enough time to adapt. “My worry is as this exponential keeps compounding, and I don’t think it’s going to take that long—somewhere between a year and five years—it will overwhelm our ability to adapt,” he said. The two leaders also called for broader institutional responses to the challenge, including international cooperation on AI governance and potential economic interventions to cushion the impact on workers. Their remarks underscore a growing recognition among AI pioneers that the technology’s effects on employment are not a distant threat, but a present reality in the making.