Nobel Laureates and AI Executives Warn Surging Job Losses Signal Economic Crisis Larger Than Industrial Revolution

Nearly 200 economists and tech leaders, including 16 Nobel laureates, are sounding the alarm on AI-driven job losses, warning the economic disruption could surpass the Industrial Revolution as AI-linked layoffs nearly double in 2026, with over 101,000 U.S. jobs already cut this year alone.

• Nearly 200 economists and tech leaders, including 16 Nobel laureates and chief economists from OpenAI and Anthropic, are signing a petition called 'We Must Act Now,' warning that AI could trigger an economic transformation larger than the Industrial Revolution, with major risks including large-scale job displacement.
• AI-linked layoffs are surging in 2026, with companies like Oracle, Meta, Cisco, and Coinbase citing AI as a cause — contributing to 101,743 U.S. job cuts through June 2026, nearly double the total attributed to AI in all of 2025.
• Experts remain divided on AI's long-term economic impact, with some arguing AI-driven automation mirrors historical technological shifts and that falling AI costs could still preserve workers' share of GDP, while others warn that debating solutions instead of acting now risks letting the crisis outpace the benefits.