Obama says AI flipped from 90% human-taught to 50/50 in under a year — the six-figure jobs he says go first

Former President Barack Obama warned on September 18 that artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly becoming capable of performing tasks now handled by skilled professionals such as lawyers and accountants. In a discussion at Colgate University in Hamilton, New York, Obama explained that AI models are increasingly learning without human input due to recursive learning.

He estimated that humans previously provided roughly 90% of the learning for AI models, with the remaining 5% to 10% generated by the models themselves. However, in just a year, this ratio had shifted to approximately 50/50. If this trend continues, Obama suggested that AI could eventually take over 90% of learning while humans provide only 10% of the input.

This shift could potentially lead to the loss of six-figure jobs in fields like law and accounting, where many professionals earn substantial salaries. Obama emphasized that the economic disruptions caused by this rapid change could be significant, as the needs of society may not align with the commercial goals of AI companies. He also noted that the impact on workers might not be as straightforward as simply replacing jobs, as AI is being used to automate tasks while also assisting workers in other areas.

The use of AI in the workplace is growing quickly, with research indicating that by the end of 2025, about 41% of U.S. workers and 18% of U.S. companies will be utilizing AI.