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MagazineFortune 500

Fortune 500 CEOs aren’t afraid of A.I.—but an impending recession is another story

Alan Murray
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Alan Murray
Alan Murray
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June 2, 2023, 5:15 AM ET

The Fortune 500 CEOs in our annual survey have spent much of the past two years solving labor puzzles—struggling with talent shortages while seeking a balance between remote and in-office work. Inflation and a slowing economy have led to layoffs, and many CEOs see recession as a looming threat to livelihoods. But advances in artificial intelligence are prompting these leaders to think differently about productivity. Many are already using generative A.I. Very few see technological change as a top worry. And three-quarters of CEOs expect that A.I. will result in their needing fewer workers in five years—a shift that will create its own social and managerial challenges.

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Poll conducted May 1–10, 2023

A version of this story appears in the June/July 2023 issue of Fortune with the headline, “CEOs leap into the A.I. unknown.”

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