More than 200 economists, researchers, and industry figures have called for urgent action on AI, warning that the technology could reshape global employment within the next decade. The signatories include 16 Nobel Prize winners who believe the economic shift may arrive far faster than expected.
The warning is not limited to the prospect of jobs disappearing through automation. The group also sees a major opportunity to improve living standards if the transition is directed carefully.
A Call for Guardrails Before the Shift Accelerates
The open letter, titled We Must Act Now, argues that governments and industry cannot postpone efforts to understand AI’s potential effects on workers. Its central concern is whether institutions, incentives, and public policy can keep pace with increasingly capable systems.
The signatories urge the creation of guardrails for AI development. Their stated aim is to ensure the technology complements human capabilities and distributes its benefits more broadly across society.
In this view, the issue is not simply whether AI can improve efficiency. The more pressing question is how AI and employment will be managed if technological progress outpaces social and economic preparation.
The letter says the acceleration of technology could trigger an unprecedented economic transformation. It suggests the scale could exceed the Industrial Revolution while unfolding over a much shorter period.
Broad Support Across Economics and Technology
The appeal has drawn attention because it brings together figures from academia, technology, and the AI industry. CNN Indonesia listed several signatories whose backgrounds illustrate the range of participants.
| Figure | Background |
|---|---|
| Daron Acemoglu | MIT professor and Nobel Prize winner |
| Simon Johnson | MIT professor and Nobel Prize winner |
| Michael Spence | NYU economist and Nobel Prize winner |
| Eric Schmidt | Former Google CEO |
| Zoë Hitzig | Former OpenAI researcher |
| Sarah Friar | OpenAI CFO |
| Jack Clark | Anthropic cofounder |
The presence of Nobel laureates alongside industry executives and AI researchers gives the letter unusual breadth. Its supporters include people who are optimistic about AI as well as those more skeptical about the technology’s capacity to transform employment on a broad scale.
The letter does not set out a detailed solution for every potential consequence. Instead, it is intended to increase public awareness of the scale of change that could confront societies worldwide.
Concern Over Readiness
Erik Brynjolfsson, a Stanford economist who helped coordinate the letter, said views among academics have shifted significantly. Even so, he sees a substantial gap between the expected pace of change and current preparedness.
Brynjolfsson warned of major shortcomings in readiness and said he was concerned that society may not be prepared for a coming “tsunami” of change. His concern places institutional preparation at the centre of the debate rather than treating AI progress as a purely technical matter.
The signatories argue that the direction of AI development should be shaped before disruption reaches a wider scale. For them, AI governance is necessary to preserve room for human skills while pursuing the technology’s potential economic gains.
The appeal ultimately frames the next decade as a period for preparation rather than passive observation. Governments, businesses, and communities face the same challenge of responding to AI’s speed without losing sight of its consequences for workers.
