Cisco President Reveals Stupidest Thing Companies Can Do When Adopting AI

As companies rush to integrate artificial intelligence into their operations, a top tech executive is sounding a bold and counterintuitive warning. Jeetu Patel, the president of Cisco and a prominent figure in the AI infrastructure space, recently declared that the "stupidest thing" a company can do in the long run is to eliminate entry-level jobs.

Patel’s comments, made at the Ai4 conference in Las Vegas, push back against the widespread narrative that AI will make entry-level roles obsolete. While some tech leaders, including OpenAI's Dario Amodei, have suggested that AI could wipe out a significant portion of white-collar jobs, Patel insists that this line of thinking is not only "absurd" but strategically flawed.

The Flawed Logic of Eradicating Entry-Level Roles
Patel argues that getting rid of entry-level positions is a form of corporate self-sabotage. It robs a company of the fresh perspectives and new ideas that are essential for long-term innovation.

"If you just say, 'I'm going to eradicate all entry-level jobs,' that's the stupidest thing a company can do in the long term because what you've done is you've actually taken away the injection of new perspective," Patel told reporters. He emphasized that the combination of his experience and the unique viewpoints of younger employees is what leads to truly innovative solutions.

The data backs up Patel’s concern. Recent reports from Oxford Economics show that the unemployment rate for recent college graduates has surpassed the national average for the first time since the 1980s, while entry-level hiring has dropped by 23% in the last five years. While multiple factors are at play, AI’s impact on the job market is undeniable.

The Real AI Opportunity
According to Patel, the true promise of AI is not in replacing humans, but in elevating their work. The technology should be used to automate repetitive tasks, freeing up employees to focus on higher-level problem-solving and critical thinking.

This is a stark contrast to a common mistake companies are making: mistaking AI for a simple cost-cutting tool. The short-sighted strategy of using AI to remove the bottom rung of the corporate ladder ignores the pipeline of talent, skills, and new ideas that a healthy organization needs to thrive.

Patel concluded by stressing that the tech industry has a responsibility to manage this transition smoothly and provide support for retraining and reskilling workers. By doing so, companies can harness the power of AI without causing "significant societal pain" and, more importantly, without sacrificing their own future success.