By Gloria Ogbonna
Tech billionaire and investor Eric Schmidt is pushing back against calls for immigration reforms tied to the rapid job displacement caused by artificial intelligence, arguing that America’s long-standing openness to global talent remains one of its greatest strengths.
Speaking to graduates at the University of Arizona on Sunday, Schmidt urged students to embrace AI and to support continued immigration, even as automation accelerates changes in the labor market. His remarks were met with loud boos from some in the audience, reflecting growing anxiety among young professionals about job security in the AI era.
“America is at its best when we are the country that ambitious people want to come to,” Schmidt said, encouraging graduates to “choose equality” and “choose a diversity of perspectives,” including immigrants who, he argued, have historically strengthened the nation’s economy and innovation ecosystem.
As the crowd reacted negatively, Schmidt acknowledged their concerns. “I can hear you — there is a fear,” he said, recognizing widespread unease about how artificial intelligence may reshape white-collar careers.
The AI and Immigration Debate
Schmidt’s remarks come at a time when businesses are simultaneously investing heavily in AI-driven automation while also lobbying Congress to expand high-skilled immigration programs. Critics argue that the combination could intensify pressure on American workers already facing layoffs from technological disruption.
Mark Krikorian, director of the Washington-based Center for Immigration Studies, framed the issue as a policy trade-off. “It’s perfectly natural that businesses want both AI to improve productivity and immigration to keep labor cheap,” Krikorian said. “But as a policy matter, they need to choose one or the other. Congress needs to tell them: Choose one or the other — you don’t get both.”
The tension between automation and migration was also highlighted by Larry Fink, founder of BlackRock, during a 2024 event hosted by the World Economic Forum in Saudi Arabia. Fink noted that countries with shrinking populations but restrictive immigration policies — such as China and Japan — are rapidly investing in robotics and AI to offset demographic decline.
According to Fink, AI-driven productivity gains could allow nations with smaller populations to maintain or even raise living standards without relying heavily on immigration.
Trump and the Robotics Shift
President Donald Trump has publicly acknowledged the labor implications of automation. In an August 2025 interview, Trump said the United States would increasingly rely on robotics to sustain economic growth.
“We’re going to need robots… to make our economy run because we do not have enough people,” Trump said, adding that the growth of robotics would itself create new industries and jobs related to manufacturing and maintenance.
Meanwhile, some political figures, including California gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton, have argued for economic growth driven by innovation rather than expanded immigration.
Visa Programs Under Scrutiny
At the center of the debate are high-skilled visa programs such as H-1B, OPT, L-1, J-1, TN, and H4EAD, which allow foreign nationals to work in white-collar sectors including technology, finance, academia, and healthcare. Critics contend that more than 1.5 million temporary contract workers currently hold such positions, placing downward pressure on wages and advancement opportunities for American graduates.
Krikorian suggested that if policymakers choose to reduce reliance on foreign labor, the transition should be gradual to avoid economic disruption. Rather than eliminating visa programs overnight, he proposed a phased reduction over several years to allow businesses and workers time to adjust.
“This would be a multi-year process,” he said, explaining that a steady decline in visa numbers would soften the shock to employers while easing competitive pressure on domestic workers.
Workers Voice Anxiety
The broader debate is unfolding as AI systems rapidly automate tasks once performed by highly educated professionals. Investor Ken Griffin recently described witnessing work traditionally handled by individuals with master’s and PhDs in finance being completed by AI agents in a fraction of the time.
“These are not mid-tier white-collar jobs,” Griffin said at a Stanford Business School event. “These are extraordinarily high-skilled jobs being automated.”
He admitted feeling unsettled by the pace of change, warning that AI’s rapid evolution could have profound societal consequences.
Personal accounts from American workers echo those concerns. Some software engineers and white-collar professionals report that after years of training and climbing the career ladder, they now face a labor market reshaped by automation and global outsourcing. The fear of sliding back into financial instability has intensified amid layoffs and hiring freezes across the tech sector.
A Transformational Moment
Historically, technological shifts — such as mechanized cotton harvesting in the 20th century — displaced millions of workers over decades. Observers note that AI’s disruption appears to be unfolding much faster, affecting industries simultaneously and at a global scale.
Even mainstream publications such as The Economist have cautioned that while a full-scale “jobs apocalypse” may not yet have arrived, governments should consider building stronger safety nets before the economic impact becomes overwhelming.<a href=”http://
Big Tech: We are going to use AI to replace all white collar jobs in 18 months.
Gen Z: So we should end OPT, H-1B, and offshoring?
Big Tech: No, never.
— Barefoot Student (@BarefootStudent) May 18, 2026
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As policymakers grapple with how to balance innovation, competitiveness, and worker stability, the debate highlighted by Schmidt’s speech underscores a pivotal question: Should the United States rely on expanded immigration, accelerated automation, or some combination of both to shape its economic future?
Source Breitbart
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