AI Valued at $100B for Offering Free Labor, Humans Still Waiting Paycheck

KEY POINTS

•Computer science professor Roman Yampolskiy warned in 2025 that AI advancements could automate most computer-based jobs like programming and accounting.
•Yampolskiy claimed AI companies’ high valuations represent a bet on accessing vast amounts of 'free labor' from autonomous agents.
•Experts like Geoffrey Hinton anticipate widespread job loss by 2026, while some tech leaders suggest AI will transform rather than eliminate work.

Roman Yampolskiy, a University of Louisville computer science prof, dropped the harsh truth bomb in 2025: the AI boom isn't about smarter gadgets but about snagging 'free labor' from robots that don't complain about sick days or unions. He laid it out May 4 at Resalat Qarz Al-Hasanah bank's AI HQ in Kerman, Iran—because of course this race has a Persian pit stop. He warned that jobs like programming, tax prep, and web design are on the chopping block by 2030, with AI roles nshuffling humanity out of work. With valuations soaring into the hundreds of billions, investors essentially buy a ticket on the conveyor belt to unemployment. Oh, and Geoffrey Hinton aka the 'godfather of AI' agrees jobs could vanish by 2026, while Nvidia's Jensen Huang remains oddly optimistic, suggesting shorter workweeks instead of jobless futures. Meanwhile, society braces for AI addiction and the terrifying moment when hitting the ‘pause’ button just isn't an option anymore.