Artificial intelligence has not yet triggered mass layoffs, but workers, bosses, and policymakers should not get too comfortable with the status quo, experts say.
In a Harvard Gazette item published September 30, 2026, experts cautioned that the current calm around AI and employment may not hold. The piece, headlined "Why AI hasn't triggered mass layoffs — yet," suggests the absence of widespread job losses so far should not be read as a permanent reprieve.
The same edition highlighted related Harvard work, including a conflict resolution specialist explaining what most clients get wrong about disputes, and Tom Kane on the problem of overconfidence and why schools should measure what works before scaling new programs.
Other featured items included Daniel Lieberman turning his kitchen into a lab for his latest book, "Fed Up," and a series of upcoming campus events.
The implication is that the status quo on AI and work may be temporary, and that the question of mass displacement remains open.