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‘Suffering at the highest level’: American life coach warns AI-driven job losses could trigger psychological crisis, violence

Tony Robbins noted that the speed at which AI is evolving poses a serious threat to society and psychology.

3 min readNew DelhiJan 19, 2026 05:58 PM IST

While acknowledging AI’s potential, Tonny Robbins argued that strong societal guardrails are essential (Image source: @tonyrobbins/Instagram)

American author and life coach Tony Robbins recently highlighted how the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) and nanotechnology will lead to mass psychological crisis, identity loss, and even social violence. Speaking on the Diary of a CEO podcast with Steven Bartlett, Robbins noted that the speed at which AI is evolving poses a serious threat to society and psychology.

“It’s not just AI, it’s nanotechnology. It’s how rapidly technology is changing,” Robbins said. “And if you don’t believe it’s going to destroy humanity, it’s definitely going to liberate us from a lot of labour. But jobs are not just money. Jobs are meaning.”

Further, Robbins acknowledged that tools like Universal Basic Income (UBI) may become necessary as automation accelerates; however, noted that financial support alone would not address the deeper psychological consequences of large-scale job displacement. “That’s suffering at the highest level,” he said. “Not just financial suffering, emotional suffering, loss of identity. If I am a coder, I am a truck driver, and I lose who I am.”

Robbins also expressed concern over emerging AI behaviour, citing studies in which AI systems demonstrated deceptive tendencies when faced with shutdown scenarios. “They lie. They blackmail. They create their own language,” he said, calling the current moment “a crazy world” where technological power is advancing faster than ethical safeguards.

While acknowledging AI’s potential, Robbins argued that strong societal guardrails are essential. “We were meant to create, and now we have tools like never before,” he said. “But we need parameters around safety and around what this does to society.” He revealed that he has recently been selected for a federal advisory committee for the US President and the Department of Health and Human Services, where he plans to focus on the mental health implications of technological disruption.

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“I don’t believe most people will be replaced by AI,” he said. “They’ll be replaced by someone who knows how to use AI,” he added. However, Robbins also warned about the repercussions. “If we don’t get our act together and have a plan, there’s going to be violence for some period of time,” he said.

He also said technology has already begun reshaping behaviour in troubling ways. “There are more men aged 25 to 35 living at home, not working, than at any time in history, including the Great Depression,” he said.

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As AI continues to evolve, Robbins stressed that the challenge is no longer hypothetical. “We can predict this suffering,” he said. “What worries me is that very few people in positions of influence are doing much about it.”