AI safety expert Roman Yampolskiy, a professor at the University of Louisville and one of the first to introduce the concept of AI safety, has issued a stark warning: artificial general intelligence could drive global unemployment to 99% by 2030. Speaking on the "Diary of a CEO" podcast, Yampolskiy predicted that AI systems matching human cognitive abilities could emerge as early as 2027, triggering a rapid collapse in the labor market within just three years. He argued that once AI becomes capable of performing tasks at a fraction of the cost of human labor—whether through software subscriptions or affordable AI models—employers will have little incentive to hire people. "If I can get a $20 subscription or a free model to do what an employee does, why pay someone?" he said. He added that humanoid robots, while still a few years behind, will soon automate physical labor, making jobs in construction, delivery, and maintenance obsolete. Yampolskiy dismissed the idea of retraining as a viable solution. "All jobs will be automated, then there is no plan B. You cannot retrain," he stated. Even roles once considered secure—such as software developers, data analysts, teachers, and podcasters—could be replaced. He specifically noted that AI is already outperforming humans at crafting effective prompts for other AI systems, rendering "prompt engineering" a fleeting career path. Beyond economic disruption, Yampolskiy raised concerns about the societal and psychological fallout. He stressed that for many, work provides a sense of purpose and identity. "We all lose our jobs. What do we do financially? Who's paying for us?" he asked. He warned that governments are unprepared for such a crisis, with no large-scale plans to support populations without employment. His forecast stands in sharp contrast to more measured predictions from other AI leaders. Adam Dorr of RethinkX expects mass job displacement by 2045 but believes some roles—like sex work and politics—may remain human-only. Geoffrey Hinton, a pioneer in neural networks, believes AI will replace routine intellectual tasks but sees manual jobs as more resilient. Anthropic’s Dario Amodei estimates half of entry-level office roles could disappear within five years, while Sam Altman of OpenAI believes new jobs will emerge, even if they seem unusual. Nvidia’s Jensen Huang and Meta’s Yann LeCun remain optimistic, arguing AI will augment rather than replace human labor. Yampolskiy did not respond to a request for comment on his predictions. Still, his warning underscores growing anxiety about the pace and impact of AI development, particularly as the technology advances faster than societal systems can adapt.