Amazon Web Services CEO Matt Garman warned business leaders against replacing junior employees with AI, calling it “one of the dumbest things" he's ever heard. On the “Matthew Berman” podcast Tuesday, Garman said junior employees are the most cost-effective and adaptable to AI integration. He warned that replacing them risks leaving companies without skilled workers in the future. Garman emphasized that long-term career value in an AI-driven market will not come from narrow degrees or single-skill expertise. He advised students to focus on critical reasoning, creativity, and adaptability as technology advances. The remarks follow Amazon CEO Andy Jassy’s June announcement that AI will shrink the corporate workforce, which drew mixed employee reactions. Amazon has committed over $100 billion to AI infrastructure, including $13 billion for Australian data centers through 2029, while freezing retail hiring budgets.
