Big Tech Is Not the Answer! Anthropic Co-founder Christopher Olah Warns AI Could Destroy Millions of Jobs

Artificial intelligence could eliminate millions of jobs across industries in the coming years, according to Anthropic co-founder Christopher Olah. Speaking during an event at the Vatican, Olah warned that the growing influence of AI systems is creating challenges that go far beyond the control of major technology companies.

Vatican and Tech Industry Join AI Debate

The event also highlighted an unusual collaboration between the technology industry and the Catholic Church. The Vatican has recently become more vocal about the ethical and moral implications of artificial intelligence.

Reports suggest Pope Leo XIV's recent encyclical focused heavily on the societal risks linked to AI development, including labour displacement, ethics, and human dignity. The discussion signals that concerns around AI are no longer limited to Silicon Valley, with global institutions increasingly calling for stricter accountability and wider public oversight.

AI Growth Could Come at the Cost of Jobs

Olah suggested that rapid advances in AI may reshape the global workforce at an unprecedented scale. As companies increasingly adopt AI tools for automation, several traditional roles across administration, customer support, content generation, and data processing could face disruption.

According to him, the issue is not only technological progress but also the incentives driving the AI race. He said even researchers with good intentions are still influenced by commercial competition and pressure to grow faster than rivals.

Big Tech Alone Cannot Regulate AI

During the discussion, Olah stressed that relying on large technology companies to regulate artificial intelligence may not be enough. He argued that every major AI lab operates within business and geopolitical constraints that can conflict with broader public interests.

"Every frontier AI lab operates inside a set of incentives and constraints that can sometimes conflict with doing the right thing," Olah reportedly said. He added that external oversight is becoming increasingly important as AI systems gain more power and influence across industries.

The comments reflect growing concerns that Big Tech firms developing advanced AI models may prioritise market leadership and profits over long-term societal impact. Critics have repeatedly argued that independent regulators, governments, and public institutions should play a stronger role in shaping AI policy.

AI Oversight May Soon Become Essential

As AI adoption accelerates worldwide, experts continue to debate how governments and regulators should respond. Olah's remarks reinforce the idea that external oversight, rather than self-regulation by tech giants, could become necessary to ensure AI development remains aligned with public interest rather than corporate competition alone.