Hyperwrite CEO Matt Shumer warns jobs are at risk: ‘AI’s impact might be even bigger than COVID’

Artificial intelligence has triggered plenty of bold predictions over the past few years. Some sounded exaggerated, but out of them few even became reality. Now a tech CEO is warning that what’s coming next could be “much bigger” than COVID-19.

That comparison alone is enough to make people pause and think. Hyperwrite CEO Matt Shumer published a long essay on X titled ‘Something Big Is Happening’, and it quickly went viral. His message was blunt. AI is no longer a future threat. It’s already reshaping jobs, including his own. And he believes many people still haven’t grasped how quickly things are moving.

Hyperwrite CEO warns: ‘Something Big Is Happening’

Matt Shumer wrote that artificial intelligence can now handle all of his technical work.

A notable warning from someone who himself runs an AI company.He wrote the essay for friends and family who keep asking what’s really happening with AI. Apparently, the usual polite answers didn’t feel honest anymore. His post reportedly gathered more than 30 million views within a day. Tech figures like Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian and venture capital investors publicly agreed with him. “We’re not predicting. It already happened.”

One of Shumer’s strongest claims is that people in tech are not speculating about the future. They’re describing what has already happened inside their own workplaces.

What once felt messy now feels impressive

He argued that many outside the industry dismissed AI after experimenting with early versions of ChatGPT. Still, recent releases from companies like OpenAI and Anthropic do suggest rapid improvements. OpenAI’s GPT-5.3 Codex, aimed at software engineering, was even described by the company as instrumental in helping build itself.

That detail raised eyebrows across the sector.

COVID-19 vs AI: CEO compares AI growth to February 2020

Shumer says this moment feels like early 2020. Back when news of a virus spreading overseas seemed distant. Then suddenly, everything changed. He believes ‘AI’s impact might be even bigger than COVID.’The pandemic reshaped how and where people work. AI could reshape who works at all. Thats what he concluded, why he compared AI growth now with February 2020 pandemic.

Why learning AI now could change your career

He described giving OpenAI’s latest coding model a task and then walking away from his computer for four hours.

When he returned, the work was finished. Done well, he said. Not just technically correct. He’s urging them to learn fast AI and quotes this might be “the most important year of your career”. Not because layoffs are guaranteed tomorrow. But there’s a brief window where many companies still underestimate AI’s capabilities.

In his view, the person who uses AI to complete a three-day task in one hour will suddenly look indispensable.Artificial Intelligence is no longer a niche topic for engineers. It’s entering boardrooms, HR meetings, Family dinner conversations and in our day-to-day lives.And that shift alone suggests something big is happening.