Robert Kiyosaki predicts AI-driven ‘massive unemployment’ and 2026 may make him a prophet. What is behind the dismissal?


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Rich father poor father Author Robert Kiyosaki is known for his love of gold and bitcoin, but he also makes regular claims about employment, including predicting a dramatic AI shift in the job market.

“The biggest change in modern history,” Kiyosaki announced in an X post from July 2025 (1). “AI will cause many smart students to lose their jobs. AI will cause mass unemployment. Many still have student loan debt.”

It seems that he might be a prophet.

Since the beginning of 2026, many top companies have announced layoffs due to AI advances. Jack Dorsey made headlines in early March with the announcement that his fintech company Block would cut 40% of its workforce (2). This was followed by cuts at Salesforce, where 4,000 customer support roles were cut due to AI (3), and a 15% workforce reduction at Pinterest (4). For those with debt, losing your job to AI-driven cuts is a near-scary scenario.

This begs the question: Is Kiyosaki worried about losing his empire to the robotic revolution?

“AI can’t fire me because I don’t have a job,” he wrote in the same post on X.

This is because Kiyosaki is not only a prophet but also a passive income evangelist, which he believes is the safest way to save your life and livelihood.

“Years ago, instead of listening to my poor dad’s advice to go to school, get good grades, get a job, pay taxes, take out a loan, save money, and invest in a well-diversified portfolio of stocks, bonds, and mutual funds, I followed my rich dad’s advice. I became an entrepreneur. I became a trader, borrowing real money and investing in real money. Real gold, silver, and today Bitcoin. to do

Here’s a look at what some CEOs are saying about AI and the job market, and how you can make sure you have passive income — whether you rely on your 9-to-5 or not.

As might be expected, there is not complete agreement on the impact of AI on future job prospects.

Some predict big changes. For example, tech mogul Elon Musk weighed in on the topic at a US-Saudi investment forum in November 2025, suggesting that work will become “optional” in the future as AI continues to develop (5).

“It’s going to be like a sport or a video game or something like that,” he said. “In the same way you can go to the store and just buy some vegetables, or you can grow vegetables in your backyard.”

“It’s hard to grow vegetables in your backyard, but some people still do it because they love growing vegetables. It’s going to be what it takes, optional. Now, now and then, there’s actually a lot of work to get there.”

Dario Amudi, CEO of Anthropic — the AI ​​company behind the massive Language Model Cloud — had a slightly less rosy view on the matter. Amody warned that AI could eliminate half of entry-level white-collar jobs and increase the unemployment rate by as much as 20% in the next one to five years (6).

This is a scary thought.

However, not all CEOs and labor market experts believe that AI is the main reason behind companies scaling back their human resources. “Investing in talent and AI tools are not mutually exclusive,” Hope CEO Will Ahmed wrote in a post on X, referring to his company’s growth. “Most of these ‘AI layoffs’ are just companies that are underperforming or don’t have a big market opportunity (7).”

Other experts have accused companies of “AI-washing” their recent layoffs. Speaking to CNBC, Fabian Stefani, assistant professor of AI and working at the Oxford Internet Institute, said that companies are now “sacrificing” technology to fall for layoffs.

“I’m really skeptical that the layoffs we’re seeing right now are really due to real efficiency gains. It’s actually a prediction about AI that we can use AI to make a good excuse,” he said (8).

No matter where you come on the AI ​​and jobs debate, one thing is clear: it’s critical to protect your income, especially as periods of unemployment may become the new norm.

Read more: I’m almost 50 and have no retirement savings. Is it too late to catch up?

Read more: Non-millionaires can now invest in this $1B private real estate fund starting at just $10

Kiyosaki’s story illustrates a simple choice to reject his poor father’s advice and follow his rich father’s: instead of getting a traditional job, he became an entrepreneur and started investing in real estate – an asset known to generate passive income.

Kiyosaki has repeatedly emphasized the importance of creating passive income. “I have always advised people to become an entrepreneur, at least on one side, and not need job security. Then invest in income-producing real estate, in a crash, that provides a steady stream of cash,” he wrote in X Post in 2025 (9).

Most importantly, once you’ve established a reliable stream of passive income, you can worry less about AI replacing your job because you’re no longer solely dependent on a salary.

Real estate has long been the preferred asset for income-oriented investors. While stock markets can swing wildly on headlines, high-quality properties often continue to generate stable rental income.

Perhaps that’s why Kiyosaki once revealed that he owns 15,000 homes – strictly for investment purposes – during an interview with personal finance YouTuber Sharan Hegde (10).

Today, you don’t have to be as rich as Kiyosaki to start investing in real estate. Crowdfunding platforms like Arrival have made it easier than ever for everyday investors to get access to this income-producing asset class.

Backed by world-class investors like Jeff Bezos, Ariad helps you invest $100 in rental housing shares, all without the hassle of mowing the lawn, cleaning the faucets or handling midnight calls from troublesome tenants.

How it works is simple: browse a curated selection of homes that have been evaluated for their appreciation value and income potential. Once you find a property you like, just select the number of shares you want to buy and sit back when you start getting positive rental income distributions from your investment.

Creating passive income from real estate is probably the closest way to follow in Kiyosaki’s footsteps, but there are others.

Note his disdain for fiat currency, which he calls “fake money” and prefers savings with “real gold and silver” instead (10).

It’s no surprise – the famous author has been an advocate for the precious metal for decades.

In October 2023, he made another prediction about X: “Gold will soon cross $2,100 and go up again. You’ll wish you had bought gold below $2,000. Next stop, gold $3,700 (11).”

His prediction was very accurate, as the price of gold reached a record high of $5,500 an ounce in January 2026, despite the recent pullback (12).

Gold has long been seen as a safe haven investment. It is not tied to any country, currency or economy. It cannot be printed out of thin air like fiat money, and investors appreciate its value in times of economic unrest or geopolitical uncertainty.

A Gold IRA is an option for building your retirement fund with an inflation-hedging asset.

Opening a gold IRA with GoldCo allows you to invest in gold and other precious metals in physical form while also providing the IRA’s significant tax benefits.

With a minimum purchase of $10,000, Goldco offers will match up to 10% of eligible purchases in free silver.

If you’re curious about whether this is the right investment to diversify your portfolio, you can even download your free 2026 Gold and Silver Information Guide today.

In addition to gold, Kiyosaki said he also saves in bitcoin — again, no wonder he’s long been a vocal supporter of the world’s biggest cryptocurrency.

However, this volatile market is not for the faint of heart.

Bitcoin’s performance in 2025 has many investors predicting a long-term bull market for the top cryptocurrency, with some investors saying that if trends continue Bitcoin could fall below the $50,000 mark (13).

On the flip side, depending on how you think about it, a dip can just be an opportunity to buy. For most of 2025, Bitcoin will trade at more than $100,000 per coin, which means now is the time you can get in on the lows — unless you’re betting on even sharper declines.

For those with the stomach to ride the bitcoin wave, new crypto platforms have made it easier for everyday investors to gain access to this decentralized currency.

One option is Robinhood Crypto, which helps users buy and sell crypto for as little as $1. You can also access dozens of other coins, if your faith in Bitcoin is broken.

Even better, Robinhood Crypto has the lowest trading costs in the US on average – meaning you can earn up to 3.5% more crypto than trading on other platforms.

While building a passive income stream through bitcoin or precious metals can help prepare you for the “big change” that Kiyosaki warns of, it’s just as important to know where your money is going each month.

Try tracking all your expenses for 30 days, then sort them into two categories: necessities — like rent, groceries, utilities and health care — and discretionary expenses, like dining out, entertainment, shopping and hobbies.

Breaking down your financial spending and results can give you a clearer picture of your spending habits and help identify areas where you can cut back. Building a buffer in the event of AI-driven unemployment can give you headroom to reskill or find other work.

But reducing waste isn’t just about skipping lattes or takeout.

Even in essential categories, you may be spending more than you need to. good news With a little research, these costs can often be significantly reduced.

For example, car insurance is a large monthly expense for many, and some Americans are likely paying more without realizing it. According to Forbes, the average cost of full coverage car insurance is $2,149 per year, or $179 per month (14).

However, rates vary widely depending on your state, driving history and vehicle type.

By using OfficialCarInsurance.com, you can now easily compare quotes from multiple insurers, such as Progressive, Allstate and GEICO, to make sure you’re getting the best deal.

In just two minutes, you can find rates as low as $29 a month.

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@theRealKiyosaki (1), (9), (11); Quick Company (2); CNBC (3), (8); The Wall Street Journal (4); Hills (5); Axios (6); @willahmed (7); @financewithsharan (10); BBC (12); TradingView (13); Forbes (14)

This article provides information only and should not be used as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.

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