This week in AI news, two billionaires sparked a conversation that’s got everyone talking—and maybe a little worried. OpenAI’s Sam Altman and SoftBank’s Masayoshi Son took the stage in Tokyo to chat about automating work with AI. And let’s just say, their vision might not sit well with everyday workers.

SoftBank, a major investor in OpenAI, plans to pump $3 billion a year into AI products. Their goal? To create a platform called Cristal Intelligence that automates millions of white-collar tasks. Think spreadsheets, emails, and reports—handled by AI “agents” instead of humans. SoftBank claims this will “transform its business and create new value.” But what about the people whose jobs are on the line?

This isn’t the first time we’ve heard about AI replacing workers. Fintech CEO Sebastian Siemiatkowski has been vocal about AI taking over human roles. Son seems to share this mindset, focusing on the potential wealth AI can generate. But here’s the catch: widespread automation could lead to massive unemployment. And while businesses are eager to cut costs, the human cost of this shift is getting brushed aside.

Meanwhile, OpenAI rolled out a new AI “agent” designed for in-depth research, making it easier to tackle complex questions. They also launched o3-mini, a reasoning model that’s faster and more efficient. But not everyone’s gung-ho about AI. The European Union just banned risky AI systems, including those used for social scoring and sneaky advertising.

In other news, Google’s X lab introduced Heritable Agriculture, a startup using AI to boost crop yields. And ByteDance-backed researchers released YuE, an open AI model that can generate music—complete with vocals and backing tracks.

As AI advances, the conversation around its impact on jobs and society is heating up. While billionaires dream of automated utopias, the rest of us are left wondering: what’s next for the workforce?