Salman Khan — founder and CEO of Khan Academy and a prominent voice on education and workforce trends — is warning that the accelerating adoption of artificial intelligence could lead to significant labor market disruption that feels depression-like even if unemployment increases only moderately. According to Khan, if white-collar work were to shrink by just about 10 %, the resulting economic and social shock could be felt as intensely as a recession or depression because of how deeply people’s identities and livelihoods are tied to their jobs.
Khan’s concerns echo warnings from AI researchers and executives who predict that AI technologies — especially those advancing toward general-purpose intelligence — could reshape work faster than most people expect. Experts like Geoffrey Hinton, often called the “godfather of AI,” have similarly suggested that displacement of jobs might not be gradual but could occur in waves as automation reaches increasingly complex tasks.
Beyond the numbers, Khan points to a potential identity crisis for those affected. Many people in upper-middle-class and professional roles have spent decades building careers and self-worth around specific types of work. A shrinking job market could therefore not just reduce incomes but also undermine social confidence and sense of purpose — an effect that might feel deeper than simple unemployment figures suggest.
To address these looming challenges, Khan has proposed a national reskilling collective funded by a modest corporate commitment (around 1 % of personnel costs or profits) to help displaced workers transition into new, sustainable careers. Without such efforts, he warns, early signs of job losses — such as recent layoffs connected to AI initiatives in large companies — could foreshadow broader structural unemployment and social strain if unprepared.
