AI automation to drive mass white-collar job losses in 12-18 months, says Andrew Yang

Andrew Yang, entrepreneur and former Democratic presidential candidate, has cautioned that millions of white-collar employees in the United States may face unemployment within the next 12 to 18 months due to the fast-paced growth of artificial intelligence (AI), according to Business Insider.

Yang believes AI will increasingly take over responsibilities currently handled by mid-career office professionals, call centre workers, marketers, software developers, and other skilled employees. He described the coming shift as a "great disembowelling" of white-collar employment.

AI Advancing Faster Than Workers Expect

Discussing the swift integration of AI tools across industries, Yang emphasized that many companies are adopting automation far more quickly than employees realize.

He noted that tasks once considered secure—because they involved analytical thinking, writing expertise, or technical decision-making—are now being managed by generative AI systems. These systems are capable of drafting reports, writing code, reviewing contracts, and even responding to customer service inquiries with impressive fluency.

According to Yang, the automation surge will "kick millions of white-collar workers to the curb" in the near future. He further warned that "as one company starts to streamline, all of their competitors will follow suit."

Yang suggested that large-scale job displacement could have widespread economic effects. Reduced employment may result in lower consumer spending, weaker housing markets, and decreased tax revenues, ultimately impacting local economies across the country.

To soften the blow of AI-driven disruption, Yang supports initiatives such as universal basic income (UBI), workforce retraining programs, and implementing taxes on AI companies. He argues that proactive measures are essential to help workers adapt and to stabilize the broader economy.