AWS CEO Matt Garman Just Called Replacing Junior Employees with AI “One of the Dumbest Ideas” — And He’s Right
Why cutting entry-level roles to save costs today could quietly destroy your company’s future
Last week, AWS CEO Matt Garman delivered one of the most refreshing and brutally honest takes on AI adoption I’ve heard from a tech leader.
When asked about companies rushing to replace young or junior employees with generative AI, his response was immediate and unequivocal: “It’s one of the dumbest ideas I’ve ever heard.”
He didn’t stop there. He went on to explain exactly why this approach is not just short-sighted, but actively dangerous for long-term business success.
The hidden cost of eliminating entry-level roles
Garman pointed out something many executives overlook: companies don’t just need today’s output — they need tomorrow’s leaders. Entry-level hires are the foundation of your talent pipeline. They learn the business, build domain expertise, develop soft skills, and eventually step into senior individual contributor, management, and executive roles.
Cut those roles to “save money” with AI? You create a gaping hole in your organization. A few years later, when you need experienced people who understand your customers, your products, and your culture — there’s no one left to promote. As Garman bluntly put it: “At some point, the whole thing explodes on itself.”
The irony: Gen Z is your AI superpower, not your liability
Here’s the part that should make every leader pause. The very people companies are tempted to replace — younger workers — are often the ones most adept at using AI tools. They grew up with technology. They experiment fearlessly. They integrate ChatGPT, Copilot, Midjourney, and AWS Bedrock into their daily workflows faster than most senior staff.
In other words: Junior employees aren’t threatened by AI — they’re the ones who will make AI 10× more valuable for your entire team. Replacing them is like throwing away the engine that powers your future innovation.
A better way: AI as an amplifier, not a replacement
Garman’s core message is simple and powerful: Use AI to make your people more productive, more creative, and more capable — not to eliminate them. Let junior team members use AI to learn faster, take on bigger projects earlier, and deliver higher-quality work. Invest in their growth while giving them the best tools in the world. That’s how you build a resilient, future-ready organization.
The question every leader should ask right now
Are we treating AI as a way to do more with the same number of great people — or as an excuse to do less with fewer people? The companies that choose the first path will come out stronger. The ones that choose the second will quietly erode their own future.
Matt Garman just gave us a wake-up call we can’t ignore.
Let’s build workplaces where AI and people grow together — not one at the expense of the other.
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