Former US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo warned that rapid artificial intelligence adoption could cause mass layoffs before creating new jobs. She said tens of millions of people could lose their jobs and a deep recession could follow if corporations and the government fail to prepare for the transition. Raimondo made the remarks to Julia Boorstin in the first episode of Season 2 of the CNBC Changemakers podcast, which Cointelegraph reported on Sept. 29. She said the long-term effect of AI on net employment remains difficult to forecast, but an unmanaged short-term shock could have severe social consequences.