Take-Two Interactive CEO Questions AI Job Replacement Fears, Points to Elon Musk
In a thought-provoking address at the Semafor World Economy 2026 summit, Strauss Zelnick, the CEO of Take-Two Interactive—parent company of the Grand Theft Auto franchise—challenged widespread anxieties about artificial intelligence displacing human workers. Zelnick speculated that if AI were indeed poised to take over jobs on a massive scale, the world's wealthiest individual, Elon Musk, would likely be the first affected.
Zelnick's Argument: Why Elon Musk Would Be AI's Primary Target
When directly questioned about the potential impact of AI in the workplace, Zelnick offered a compelling perspective centered on Musk's unique position. "The richest man on Earth, Elon Musk, knows a little something about AI," Zelnick remarked. "The last time I checked, he has unlimited financial resources, and he has unlimited human resources, and apparently he has an unlimited number of ideas."
He elaborated further, highlighting Musk's intense work ethic and deep technological involvement. "You know, he knows his way around AI. The man works 20 hours a day," Zelnick added. "If AI would take anyone's job, wouldn't it take his job? Wouldn't that be the number one job for AI to take? Why is he so busy?"
Zelnick dismissed the notion of AI-led job cuts by citing his own experience, noting that he is "working harder than ever" despite integrating AI tools into various aspects of his professional and personal life.
Yann LeCun Echoes Skepticism, Criticizes AI Job Loss Predictions
A similar viewpoint has been expressed by Yann LeCun, often referred to as one of the "Godfathers of AI." LeCun fired back at Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, who recently predicted that AI could eliminate up to 50% of all entry-level positions in technology, law, consulting, and finance within the next one to five years.
In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, LeCun wrote, "Dario is wrong. He knows absolutely nothing about the effects of technological revolutions on the labor market."
LeCun also sidelined himself and other prominent AI figures, including OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and fellow AI pioneers Yoshua Bengio and Geoffrey Hinton, advising people to seek insights from economists instead. "Don't listen to him, Sam, Yoshua, Geoff, or me on this topic. Listen to economists who have spent their career studying this," he emphasized.
Instead, LeCun directed attention toward a specific group of economists who have dedicated their careers to studying labor market dynamics in the context of technological change:
- Philippe Aghion
- Erik Brynjolfsson
- Daron Acemoglu
- Andrew McAfee
- David Autor
This collective skepticism from industry leaders like Zelnick and LeCun underscores a growing debate about the real-world implications of AI on employment, suggesting that fears of widespread job displacement may be overstated or misdirected.
