‘AI Won’t Replace Jobs, It Will Empower People’: Google Cloud CEO Highlights the Positive Side of Artificial Intelligence

AI Is Not a Threat to Jobs, But a Tool for Growth, Says Google Cloud CEO

In recent years, the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has surged across industries — from automation and analytics to customer engagement and creative work. Yet, with its growing adoption, fears of mass job losses have also increased. Many worry that AI could replace human workers and lead to widespread unemployment.

However, Thomas Kurian, CEO of Google Cloud, disagrees with this notion. In his recent statement, Kurian emphasized that AI should not be seen as a job destroyer but rather as an enabler of human potential, designed to boost efficiency, creativity, and adaptability.

“AI Helps Humans — It Doesn’t Replace Them”

Kurian explained that the real purpose of AI is to enhance human productivity and make employees more effective in their roles. According to him, AI allows people to handle complex tasks faster, make better decisions, and stay aligned with the evolving demands of the modern workplace.

He said, “AI is meant to assist humans, not replace them. It helps employees adapt to new responsibilities and rising expectations.”

Kurian’s comments come at a time when automation and AI are transforming industries worldwide, raising concerns about the future of employment.

Example: How Google’s AI Is Supporting, Not Replacing, Employees

Kurian highlighted Google’s AI-based Customer Engagement Suite as an example of how AI can strengthen the workforce rather than reduce it.

This tool helps customer service teams respond more efficiently and accurately, leading to faster resolution times. “When we launched it, people asked whether agents would still be needed,” Kurian said. “But not a single company using this platform laid off its staff. Instead, employees became more efficient and customer satisfaction improved.”

The system reduced repetitive calls, allowed teams to focus on high-value interactions, and improved overall service quality — showing that AI can be a collaborator, not a competitor.

The Positive Side of AI: Boosting Productivity and Creativity

Kurian, who previously worked at Oracle for two decades before joining Google Cloud, strongly believes in AI’s positive potential. His views align with those of Google CEO Sundar Pichai, who recently revealed that AI has increased the productivity of Google engineers by around 10%, allowing them to focus on more creative and impactful projects.

This improvement underscores how AI tools like Gemini and Duet AI are helping employees work smarter, not harder — freeing up time for innovation and strategic thinking.

“AI Is an Accelerator, Not an Automator”

Both Kurian and Pichai share the belief that AI is an accelerator — it amplifies human effort — rather than an automator that replaces people.

In Kurian’s words, “The real goal of AI is to help people keep pace with a rapidly changing world, not push them out of it.”

This perspective reframes the AI debate — instead of fearing job loss, companies and workers can view AI as a partner in progress, enabling them to perform better, learn faster, and achieve more.

Bottom Line

AI is not the end of human employment but the beginning of a new era of collaboration between technology and people. When used responsibly, AI can elevate human capability, foster innovation, and create opportunities that never existed before.

As Thomas Kurian put it, “AI is here to empower, not eliminate.”