Jason Calacanis, an investor known for his advocacy of AI in Silicon Valley, argues that a significant boost in immigration could benefit the government, especially as millions of American jobs may be displaced by artificial intelligence.
“When it comes to expansion, the best strategy for America right now is straightforward: to hire between 1 to 3 million of the brightest, most driven individuals from around the globe each year,” Calacanis stated. He noted that his earlier comments did not touch on the potential effects this might have on everyday Americans’ prosperity.
He further proposed that the government should welcome more foreign labor for healthcare and various white-collar roles. “We need to issue a reasonable number of work visas according to our pressing needs… I’d estimate this to be between 100,000 to 500,000,” he said but didn’t clarify whose needs he was addressing—those of the government, investors, or the public at large.
Calacanis suggested that Americans might be more receptive to accepting additional legal immigrants if the current rates of illegal immigration were halted, indicating, “Of course, to achieve this, we’ll have to eliminate all illegal immigration.”
However, back in August, he had warned that AI and automation could lead to job losses for millions of American families, particularly in transportation roles. He remarked, “What if entirely human-driven jobs become non-existent? Remember, every self-driving vehicle replaces multiple human roles. By 2030, it’s likely we’ll see companies like Amazon, heavily investing in automation, phasing out factory and driving jobs altogether. We must ask—what happens to those displaced workers?
It’s worth noting that we’re witnessing a rapid transformation; unlike the industrial and agricultural revolutions, which spanned decades, this change is projected to unfold within just 10 years. It’s reasonable to express concerns about this shift.
Calacanis often frames himself as a moderate among his peers. Yet, his calls for government backing for both AI advancements and increased immigration—potentially taking jobs from Americans—reflect a viewpoint shared by some investors, who seem to disregard the mounting concerns about wage stagnation, job availability, and rising living costs.
Many polls reveal growing public anxiety regarding AI, mass immigration, and visa programs for white-collar jobs. In contrast, figures like former President Trump argue that both AI and immigration are necessary for economic expansion. Trump reportedly indicated that, “We’re going to need robots to revitalize the economy.”
It’s logical that if robots are incorporated into the existing workforce, someone will need to engineer them as well, creating a self-sustaining cycle.
The reality is that every year, around 4 million young Americans venture into the job market, while Congress allows about 1 million legal immigrants and around 600,000 new foreign workers with various visas to take available jobs, thereby complicating the landscape for those recent graduates.
Since 1990, policies fostering this influx have led to a staggering wealth transfer from everyday workers to immigrants and investors alike. Some prominent investors tend to downplay, or even dismiss, the associated high-tech job losses that might arise from increased immigration.
For example, David Solomon, the CEO of Goldman Sachs, pointed out in an editorial that views on AI’s implications for employment are sharply divided; some see an impending “jobs apocalypse,” while others foresee a hopeful advancement in society.
He noted that economists at Goldman Sachs predict AI could automate a quarter of current work hours in the coming decade. Certain sectors, particularly in software engineering and customer service, have already experienced employment declines. And if job losses do occur, they could unfold at an unprecedented pace, necessitating a strong public policy response focused on retraining and leveraging AI to support, rather than replace, workers.
Solomon didn’t delve into the government’s potential role in fostering AI while minimizing foreign immigration into American jobs. Meanwhile, prominent politicians like California Governor Gavin Newsom stress the urgency of tackling wealth disparity, saying, “The system is broken,” further emphasizing the challenges faced by various worker demographics.
