These jobs could be automated within 18 months, according to Microsoft AI chief.

 In a stark prediction that has sent ripples through the global business community, Mustafa Suleyman, the Chief Executive of Microsoft AI, has warned that most white-collar jobs could be fully automated within the next 12 to 18 months. The forecast, made in a recent interview with the Financial Times, suggests that the era of artificial intelligence merely assisting human workers is rapidly giving way to an era where AI replaces them entirely. Suleyman, a pioneering figure in the AI industry who co-founded DeepMind before joining Microsoft, painted a picture of a seismic shift in the knowledge economy. He predicted that AI would achieve "human-level performance on most, if not all, professional tasks" in the very near term. This is not just about incremental gains in productivity; it points to a structural displacement of roles that have long been considered stable and recession-proof. The Roles on the Front Line According to Suleyman, the jobs most at risk are those fundamentally based on computer work. He specifically identified a broad range of professions that could see their core functions automated away.

  This automation will be driven by what Microsoft is calling "professional-grade AGI" (Artificial General Intelligence)—systems capable of performing nearly every task a human professional can. This goes beyond simple data entry to encompass complex, cognitive tasks such as document drafting, data analysis, legal research, and project coordination that currently require years of training and experience. The writing is already on the wall for some sectors. Suleyman pointed to the field of software engineering as a canary in the coal mine, noting that employees are now using "AI-assisted coding for the vast majority of their code production"—a fundamental shift in the relationship between human and machine that has crystallised in just the last six months. Beyond the Hype: The Economic Reality. While Suleyman's timeline is among the most aggressive, it is part of a growing chorus of tech leaders warning of a jobs apocalypse. The CEO of Anthropic, Dario Amodei, has previously stated that AI could wipe out half of all entry-level white-collar positions. Legendary computer scientist Stuart Russell has warned that political leaders are looking at the possibility of "80% unemployment" as AI advances, with even roles like surgeons and CEOs at risk.

 The market is already reacting to this potential. Recent weeks saw a massive selloff in software stocks, dubbed the "Apocalypse," as investors fear that agent AI systems will soon perform the key functions of entire software-as-a-service organisations. This anxiety is translating into tangible job cuts. Employment consultancy Challenger, gray and Christmas estimated that approximately 55,000 job cuts in 2025 were AI-related. Tech giants are restructuring at scale; Oracle recently announced plans to cut up to 30,000 jobs to expand its AI data-centre capacity, while Amazon laid off 16,000 employees as part of its AI restructuring plan.

A "Professional-Grade AGI" and Microsoft's New Frontier. Central to this disruption is Microsoft's strategic pivot. For years, the company has relied on its multibillion-dollar investment in OpenAI to power its AI products, such as the Copilot assistant. However, Suleyman made it clear that the company is racing toward "true self-sufficiency" by building its own cutting-edge, large language models, with an in-house developed AI model expected to launch sometime in 2026. This move is designed to capture a larger share of the enterprise market by automating the routine and repeatable tasks that currently require skilled employees. Suleyman envisions a future where "creating a new model is going to be like creating a podcast or writing a blog," allowing every institution and individual to design an AI tailored to their specific needs. He described his core mission as the achievement of "excellent intelligence," a level of capability that could fundamentally alter the economics of the firm and the broader labour market. The Political and Social Earthquake. The implications of such rapid automation have not been lost on political leaders. Senator Bernie Sanders described Suleyman's prediction as an "economic earthquake," reiterating his calls for a moratorium on new AI data centres and emphasising the need for the technology to benefit workers, not just "tech billionaires".

 This political dimension is critical. A recent report from Goldman Sachs estimates that 25% of all work hours could be automated by AI, leading to a "meaningful amount of labour displacement". The investment bank warns that while investors may no longer reward companies for simply announcing layoffs, the drive for efficiency will force firms to accelerate automation to cut costs. This could create a new normal where employment "decouples" from economic growth—where companies post record profits without a corresponding need for human workers. Disruption vs. Apocalypse Despite the alarming headlines, not everyone agrees with the doomsday scenario. Market research firm Forrester offers a significantly more measured forecast. In a recent report, Forrester projected that only 6% of jobs in the US (approximately 10.4 million roles) will be fully automated by 2030, a far cry from the 18-month revolution Suleyman predicts. Forrester argues that many companies announcing "AI-related layoffs" are actually engaging in "AI washing"—attributing financially motivated cuts to future AI implementation to appear more cutting-edge. They suggest that over-automating roles can lead to costly pullbacks and damaged reputations, predicting that over half of layoffs attributed to AI will be quietly reversed as companies realise the operational challenges of replacing human talent prematurely. Instead of a jobs apocalypse, Forrester forecasts that AI will augment 20% of jobs over the next five years, making it essential for businesses to invest in upskilling their workforce. This view is echoed by leaders in the world's largest outsourcing markets.

Punit Chandhok, president of Microsoft India, countered fears and said, "AI will not eliminate jobs."  AI will unbundle jobs. AI will reshape jobs, not eliminate them". Navigating the Unknown. The divergence between Suleyman's 18-month timeline and more conservative forecasts like Forrester's 2030 projection highlights the immense uncertainty surrounding AI's impact. What is clear is that the technology is advancing at a breakneck pace. Whether the transition happens in two years or ten, the destination appears to be the same: a fundamental redefinition of work. As Microsoft builds toward "professional-grade AGI" and its competitors follow suit, the burden now shifts to governments, corporations, and educational institutions to manage the transition. The question is no longer if the white-collar landscape will be transformed, but whether society can adapt quickly enough to handle the fallout when the computer-bound tasks of today become the automated routines of tomorrow.