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Hunter Biden, son of former President Joe Biden, is sounding the alarm about a looming threat to American jobs \u2014 one he says could amount to a \u201cmass extinction event.\u201d<\/p>\n
In a recent interview with YouTuber Andrew Callaghan, Biden described an up-close example of how artificial intelligence can reshape an industry that employs millions across the country.<\/p>\n
\u201cI met somebody that owns fast food franchises, his McDonald’s employs 55 people. He went all AI \u2014 it’s about a $2 million investment per McDonald’s. He only employs five people now, so his margins go up by like 27% and it’ll make back the $2 million investment in under like 18 months,\u201d Biden told Callaghan [1].<\/p>\n
While that may sound like a savvy business move, Biden warned of dire consequences if more McDonald\u2019s owners adopt similar technology.<\/p>\n
\u201cThink about this. There’s about 13,500 McDonald’s in the United States of America. I did the math. If every one of them went down to five from 55 \u2014 lost 50 jobs on average \u2014 it’s 670,000 jobs in America. It’s a certainty. And that’s just McDonald’s,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n
He added that if other chains followed suit, the impact could be devastating.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou think that Burger King, Wendy’s, Taco Bell \u2014 across the board, you’re talking probably three and a half million jobs in the fast food industry alone, that will [be replaced with] AI easily within the next five years, if not three years,\u201d Biden said.<\/p>\n
The concern isn\u2019t unfounded. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, about 3.68 million fast food and counter workers were employed in the U.S. as of May 2023 [3]. If mass adoption of AI replaced a substantial portion of those workers \u2014 as in Biden\u2019s McDonald\u2019s example \u2014 it would mean major job losses and a spike in unemployment.<\/p>\n
Biden said the realization forced him to rethink AI entirely.<\/p>\n
\u201cI’ve flipped my thinking about this whole AI thing, you’re either going to have a mass extinction event, or it’s going to be really good with a rough patch in the middle,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Read more: Warren Buffett says you can\u2019t buy time \u2014 but landlords are finding a way. Here\u2019s how savvy real estate investors are avoiding 12 hours a month in tedious admin (for free)<\/a><\/p>\n He didn\u2019t elaborate on how a \u201cmass extinction event\u201d might unfold, but he did sketch out a best-case scenario: supercomputing power and AI deployment accelerating breakthroughs such as nuclear fusion.<\/p>\n Between now and then, though, uncertainty looms. And Biden isn\u2019t the only one worried about AI\u2019s impact on jobs.<\/p>\n OpenAI CEO Sam Altman faced a blunt question from comedian Theo Von in a recent interview: \u201cHow will people survive?\u201d<\/p>\n Altman\u2019s initial reply<\/a> was hardly comforting: \u201cI don’t know, neither does anybody else.\u201d<\/p>\n He later floated the idea of a universal basic income \u2014 a policy that gives regular cash payments to all citizens regardless of employment. Critics, however, warn it could discourage work, stoke inflation, or face insurmountable political hurdles.<\/p>\n The good news? Even as AI threatens millions of jobs and universal basic income remains only a theory, smart investors have long relied on assets that provide passive income \u2014 money that flows to you, regardless of your employment status.<\/p>\n Real estate has been one of the most popular ways to generate recurring income. When you own rental property and tenants pay rent, you earn a steady monthly cash flow.<\/p>\n It\u2019s also a popular hedge against inflation, as property values and rental income tend to rise alongside the cost of living.<\/p>\n However, while real estate investing has clear benefits, being a landlord comes with challenges. Managing a property involves finding and screening tenants, collecting rent and handling maintenance and repair requests (out of your own pocket) \u2014 and that\u2019s assuming you can save enough for a downpayment and get a mortgage to buy the property in the first place.<\/p>\n The good news? These days, you don\u2019t need to buy a property outright to reap the benefits of real estate investing. Crowdfunding platforms like Mogul<\/a> offer an easier way to get exposure to this income-generating asset class.<\/p>\n Mogul is a real estate investment platform offering fractional ownership in blue-chip rental properties, which gives investors monthly rental income, real-time appreciation and tax benefits \u2014 without the need for a hefty down payment or 3 A.M. tenant calls.<\/p>\n Founded by former Goldman Sachs real estate investors, the team hand-picks the top 1% of single-family rental homes nationwide for you. Simply put, you can invest in institutional quality offerings for a fraction of the usual cost.<\/p>\n Each property undergoes a vetting process, requiring a minimum 12% return even in downside scenarios. Across the board, the platform features an average annual IRR of 18.8%. Their cash-on-cash yields, meanwhile, average between 10 to 12% annually. Offerings often sell out in under three hours, with investments typically ranging between $15,000 and $40,000 per property.<\/p>\n Getting started is a quick and easy process. You can sign up for an account and then browse available properties<\/a>. Once you verify your information with their team, you can invest like a mogul in just a few clicks..<\/p>\n Another option is First National Realty Partners (FNRP)<\/a>, which allows accredited investors to diversify their portfolio through grocery-anchored commercial properties without taking on the responsibilities of being a landlord.<\/p>\n With a minimum investment of $50,000, investors can own a share of properties leased by national brands like Whole Foods, Kroger and Walmart<\/a>, which provide essential goods to their communities. Thanks to Triple Net (NNN) leases, accredited investors are able to invest in these properties without worrying about tenant costs cutting into their potential returns.<\/p>\n Simply answer a few questions \u2014 including how much you would like to invest \u2014 to start browsing their full list of available properties<\/a>.<\/p>\n Whether AI brings the \u201cmass extinction event\u201d or just a \u201crough patch in the middle,\u201d as Biden suggests, still isn\u2019t clear. What we do already see is the unease people face as businesses \u2014 and society at large \u2014 adapt to the new technology.<\/p>\n In times of uncertainty, investors often turn to a time-tested safe haven: gold.<\/p>\n Unlike fiat money, gold can\u2019t be printed at will. And because it isn\u2019t tied to any single currency or economy, it has historically attracted investors during turbulent times \u2014 often sending its price higher.<\/p>\n Ray Dalio, founder of the world\u2019s largest hedge fund, Bridgewater Associates, recently underscored<\/a> gold\u2019s role in a resilient portfolio: \u201cPeople don’t have, typically, an adequate amount of gold in their portfolio. When bad times come, gold is a very effective diversifier.\u201d<\/p>\n That message seems to be resonating. Gold prices have already surged more than 40% in the past year.<\/p>\n One way to invest in gold that also provides significant tax advantages is to open a gold IRA with the help of Priority Gold<\/a>.<\/p>\n Gold IRAs allow investors to hold physical gold or gold-related assets within a retirement account, thereby combining the tax advantages of an IRA with the protective benefits of investing in gold<\/a>, making it an option for those looking to help shield their retirement funds against economic uncertainties.<\/p>\n When you make a qualifying purchase with Priority Gold, you can receive up to $10,000 in precious metals<\/a> for free.<\/p>\n Biden isn\u2019t just an attorney and businessman. He\u2019s also an artist \u2014 and some of his paintings have fetched hefty sums in recent years [4].<\/p>\n That raises a timely question: can art itself be a smart investment?<\/p>\n It\u2019s easy to see why great works of art tend to appreciate over time. Supply is limited and many famous pieces have already been snatched up by museums and collectors. Art also has a low correlation with stocks and bonds, which helps with diversification.<\/p>\n In 2022, a collection of art owned by the late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen sold for $1.5 billion at Christie\u2019s New York, making it the most valuable collection in auction history [5].<\/p>\n Investing in art was traditionally a privilege reserved for the ultra-wealthy.<\/p>\n Now, that\u2019s changed with Masterworks \u2014 a platform for investing in shares of blue-chip artwork<\/a> by renowned artists, including Pablo Picasso, Jean-Michel Basquiat and Banksy. It\u2019s easy to use and with 23 successful exits to date, every one of them has been profitable thus far.<\/p>\n Simply browse their impressive portfolio of paintings<\/a> and choose how many shares you\u2019d like to buy. Masterworks will handle all the details, making high-end art investments both accessible and effortless.<\/p>\n Masterworks has distributed roughly $61 million back to investors. New offerings have sold out in minutes, but you can skip their waitlist here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Join 200,000+ readers and get Moneywise\u2019s best stories and exclusive interviews first \u2014 clear insights curated and delivered weekly. Subscribe now.<\/a><\/p>\n At Moneywise, we consider it our responsibility to produce accurate and trustworthy content people can rely on to inform their financial decisions. We rely on vetted sources such as government data, financial records and expert interviews and highlight credible third-party reporting when appropriate.<\/p>\n We are committed to transparency and accountability, correcting errors openly and adhering to the best practices of the journalism industry. For more details, see our editorial ethics and guidelines<\/a>.<\/p>\n [1]. Channel 5 with Andrew Callaghan<\/a>. YouTube post on Aug. 5, 2025<\/p>\n [2]. ScrapeHero<\/a>. \u201cNumber of McDonalds restaurants in the United States in 2025\u201d<\/p>\n [3]. U.S. Bureau of Labour and Statistics<\/a>. \u201cOccupational Employment and Wage Statistics\u201d<\/p>\n