Mo Gawdat: AI’s impact is shaped by human choices, ethical concerns in warfare are critical, and job disruption is imminent | The Diary of a CEO

AI's ethical challenges and potential job disruptions highlight the critical role of human choices in technology's future.

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Add us on Google by Editorial Team Jun. 1, 2026

Key takeaways

• AI’s impact is determined more by human choices than the technology itself.
• Misuse of technology can lead to unintended negative consequences.
• AI has been integral to backend operations since the mid-2000s.
• Initial AI implementations often favor a few, mirroring historical patterns with other technologies.
• The journey to AI being beneficial for humanity is expected to be challenging.
• AI is currently being utilized in warfare, raising ethical concerns.
• Significant job disruption is anticipated due to AI advancements.
• Self-improving AI systems are accelerating the pace of technological development.
• Entry-level knowledge work is particularly vulnerable to AI-driven disruption.
• Blue collar jobs are expected to remain stable for a longer period despite AI advancements.
• The ethical use of AI is a critical concern in its development and deployment.
• The historical context of AI development is crucial for understanding its current applications.

Guest intro

Mo Gawdat is the former Chief Business Officer at Google X, founder of One Billion Happy, and co-founder of Emma.Love. He is a 4x international bestselling author whose work focuses on happiness, technology, and the societal impact of AI, including his upcoming book Alive: A Human’s Guide to Living in the World of AI.

AI and human agency

• AI is not the enemy; the real concern is how humans choose to use it.

  — Mo Gawdat

• The ethical use of AI is a significant concern, emphasizing human responsibility.

• The truth is AI is not the enemy… I’m worried about humans telling AI to turn against us.

  — Mo Gawdat

• Misuse of technology can lead to unintended consequences, regardless of its original intent.

• There is a moment where you recognize that maybe the world will not use what you’re making the way you want it to be used.

  — Mo Gawdat

• AI’s impact on society is largely shaped by human decisions and ethical considerations.
• The relationship between AI and human agency highlights potential ethical dilemmas.
• Understanding the broader implications of AI in society is essential for ethical deployment.

Historical context of AI development

• AI has been used for backend work since at least 2006.

• At the time we had reasonably established AIs doing our backend work.

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  — Mo Gawdat

• The evolution of AI capabilities has been significant since its early applications.

• In 2008, we had the cat paper which was published, and in 2009 the first real unprompted AI.

  — Mo Gawdat

• Early AI applications laid the groundwork for its current widespread use.
• Understanding AI’s historical development is crucial for grasping its current capabilities.
• The timeline of AI technology highlights its established presence before mainstream recognition.
• AI’s historical context provides insight into its foundational role in modern technology.

Ethical implications of AI deployment

• Initial AI implementations benefit a few at the expense of the majority.

• The first implementations of AI are in favor of a few at the expense of the majority.

  — Mo Gawdat

• AI’s alignment with capitalist interests raises ethical concerns.

• In favor of the capitalist to increase productivity and reduce costs but not taking into account how that impacts the general public.

  — Mo Gawdat

• The ethical implications of AI development are critical in its societal impact.
• AI’s deployment mirrors historical patterns with other technologies, like nuclear power.
• Ethical considerations are paramount in ensuring AI benefits humanity as a whole.
• The societal impact of AI technology requires careful ethical evaluation.

Challenges in achieving AI’s net positive impact

• The path to AI being net positive for humanity is likely to be very painful.

• I bet a 100% on that it’s that this path is very painful.

  — Mo Gawdat

• Anticipated difficulties in achieving beneficial outcomes from AI reflect its complex trajectory.
• The challenges in AI’s development highlight the need for careful navigation.
• Achieving a net positive impact from AI requires addressing significant challenges.
• The complexity of AI’s trajectory underscores the importance of strategic planning.
• Anticipating the difficulties in AI’s development is crucial for mitigating negative impacts.
• Acknowledging the challenges in AI’s path is essential for guiding its positive evolution.

AI’s role in modern warfare

• AI is being used in warfare, leading to significant implications for humanity.

• As we speak, we’re living in two major wars where AI is doing most of the killing.

  — Mo Gawdat

• The role of AI in modern warfare raises serious ethical concerns.
• Understanding AI’s involvement in warfare is crucial for evaluating its impact.
• AI’s use in warfare highlights the need for ethical considerations in its deployment.
• The implications of AI in warfare underscore the importance of responsible use.
• AI’s role in warfare necessitates careful evaluation of its ethical implications.
• The ethical challenges of AI in warfare are critical for its responsible development.

Job disruption due to AI advancements

• Significant job disruption is anticipated due to advancements in AI.

• There’s gonna be pretty tremendous job disruption.

  — Mo Gawdat

• AI’s impact on the job market is a widely discussed concern in the industry.
• The potential for job disruption highlights the need for strategic workforce planning.
• AI-driven job disruption requires proactive measures to mitigate negative impacts.
• Understanding AI’s impact on employment is crucial for preparing the workforce.
• The anticipated job disruption underscores the importance of adapting to AI advancements.
• Addressing job disruption from AI requires a comprehensive approach to workforce development.

Self-improving AI systems

• AI systems are evolving to develop and test their own code.

• We’ve started to put together systems that develop themselves.

  — Mo Gawdat

• Self-improving systems are leading to rapid advancements in AI intelligence.
• AI’s self-improvement capabilities highlight its potential for accelerated development.
• Understanding self-improving AI systems is crucial for evaluating their impact.
• The mechanisms behind AI advancements emphasize the importance of strategic oversight.
• Self-improving systems reflect the complexity of AI’s development processes.
• The implications of self-improving AI systems require careful consideration in their deployment.

Impact on entry-level knowledge work

• AI will cause significant job disruption, particularly in entry-level knowledge work.

• I think roughly 15% of entry level jobs could now be done by AI.

  — Mo Gawdat

• The vulnerability of entry-level positions to AI-driven disruption is a key concern.
• AI’s impact on entry-level work highlights the need for workforce adaptation.
• Addressing the disruption in entry-level jobs requires proactive measures.
• The potential for AI to replace entry-level work underscores the importance of reskilling.
• Understanding AI’s impact on entry-level positions is crucial for workforce planning.
• The anticipated disruption in entry-level work emphasizes the need for strategic intervention.

Stability of blue collar jobs

• Blue collar jobs will remain for a long time despite advancements in AI.

• Most people think it’s going to be starting from the bottom… I think blue collar jobs will stay for a very long time.

  — Mo Gawdat

• The distinction between blue collar and knowledge work is crucial in AI’s impact on employment.
• Blue collar jobs are expected to remain stable despite AI’s advancements in other areas.
• Understanding the stability of blue collar jobs is important for workforce planning.
• The resilience of blue collar jobs highlights the need for strategic workforce adaptation.
• AI’s impact on blue collar jobs requires careful evaluation to ensure stability.
• The anticipated stability of blue collar jobs underscores the importance of strategic planning.

Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.