Microsoft’s AI boss says AI can replace every white-collar job in 18 months — ‘We’re going to have a human-level performance on most, if not all, professional tasks’
Publish Date: 2026-02-15 08:40:00
Source Domain: www.tomshardware.com
Here is a summary of the article with 6 key points:
-
Microsoft’s AI Ambition: Mustafa Suleyman, Microsoft’s AI chief executive, envisions “humanist superintelligence,” aiming to achieve advanced AI that mimics human intelligence closely.
-
AI and White-Collar Work: During an interview with the Financial Times on YouTube, Suleyman predicted that AI could fully automate most white-collar tasks, such as those involving lawyers, accountants, project managers, and marketers, within the next 12 to 18 months.
-
Skeptical Voices: Some researchers and reports indicate caution about the swift impact of AI, suggesting that initial claims of AI-driven layoffs result more from business underperformance than AI’s capabilities.
-
AI Skepticism: An MIT study showed that AI might replace only 11.7% of U.S. jobs, contrary to the dire forecasts of other business leaders. Also, 95% of generative AI use in enterprises had no measurable impact on profitability.
-
Widespread AI Applications: Despite skepticism and varied impacts, Suleyman remains confident about AI’s potential, predicting that anyone could design customized AI models to fit specific needs, akin to creating content for a podcast or blog.
-
Broad Predictions: Similar to Suleyman, other business leaders, like Anthropic’s CEO Dario Amodei and Ford’s CEO Jim Farley, also share the outlook that AI will significantly disrupt white-collar job markets in the coming years.
