# Anthropic Economist: AI Hasn't Caused Unemployment Yet Data-driven rebuttal to claims of AI wiping out white-collar jobs. - **Source:** [Fortune | FORTUNE](https://brifing.si/source/769282ef-327a-4454-909a-3c7936216004) - **Published:** 2026-07-24 - **Topic:** [Data & AI](https://brifing.si/c/data-ai) - **Original article:** - **On Brifing:** https://brifing.si/s/c093e8a1-ed8b-473b-bbe1-401a2f90d4c2 ## Contradictory Predictions Despite CEO Dario Amodei's warnings that AI could eliminate half of white-collar jobs soon, Anthropic economist Peter McCrory presented data showing no significant impact yet. US unemployment remains at 4.2%, considered full employment level. ## Timeline Discrepancy While Amodei predicted massive job losses within 1-5 years in 2025, McCrory's 18-month internal research found no material effect currently. Unemployment in Claude-exposed jobs shows no relative increase compared to other occupations. ## Human-AI Collaboration McCrory argues AI currently serves as 'thought partners' rather than replacements. Complex work still requires human oversight. Workers with domain expertise recover better from AI errors, contradicting simple substitution scenarios. ## Young Workers at Risk Data shows hiring slowdown for young workers in AI-exposed roles. Technical writers, data entry and customer service jobs are projected to grow slower through 2034, acting as 'canaries in the coal mine'. ## Jevons Paradox Debate Amodei's '90% automation leads to 10x productivity' theory aligns somewhat with McCrory's 'skill-biased' framework. But McCrory notes markets need adjustment time, while AI's rapid advancement may disrupt this balance. ## Future Uncertainty McCrory acknowledges Amodei's 'singularity' scenario becomes possible if AI begins recursive self-improvement. However, he disputes the near-term timeline and scale predicted by his CEO, leaving Anthropic straddling two narratives. ## Sources covering this story - https://fortune.com/2026/07/24/anthropic-peter-mccrory-dario-amodei-why-hasnt-it-killed-jobs/ — --- _Summary written by Brifing from the original reporting. Copyright in the original article belongs to its publisher; read the full piece at the link above._