Jeff Bezos spoke at the 2025 Italian Tech Week about how the future of work will be when artificial intelligence (AI) is more present than now. His main idea is simple: machines can help, but they won’t substitute people who know how to create and invent. According to Bezos, the capacity of coming up with new solutions and building things that don’t exist yet is what drives progress — and what will matter most in the future. So, let’s see what else Jeff Bezos said at that event.
Importance of inventing
Jeff Bezos said that invention is the base of every technological advance. For him, that attitude is what has allowed companies like Amazon and Blue Origin (his aerospace company) become what they are now.
Basically, technology advances when there are people who have courage to come up with different solutions and put them into practice.
The ranch
In his talk, Jeff Bezos told a story of his childhood that was very important for him: the summers he spent with his grandfather on a Texas ranch. There, they once repaired a bulldozer and even built a homemade crane to finish the job. This experience taught him the value of creativity and problem-solving using whatever tools you have. Bezos says this helped make him a “natural inventor,” and that practical inventiveness is a powerful skill.
What Jeff Bezos looks for in a job interview
Bezos explained that, when he interviews someone, he asks a very specific question: “Tell me about something you’ve invented.” No matter if the invention is big or small, what Jeff Bezos wants is to see if the person can think in a creative way and come up with solutions on their own. For Bezos that attitude of creating matters far more than any degree or résumé.
Also, he said that people who don’t enjoy exploring new ideas or assuming risks don’t last very much at Amazon, because the company is constantly innovating.
Innovation to face the competition
Jeff Bezos said that the best way for a company to stay safe from competition is to keep inventing and creating new things all the time. He even joked that he’s more afraid of “two young people working in a garage” than of big companies he already knows. He said this because huge companies like Google and Apple actually started in garages, with only a few people who had big ideas.
The artificial intelligence advance changes how companies see human talent. Bezos (and current CEO Andy Jassy) stated that technical knowledge is something that can be learned, but the attitude… that’s something that can’t be easily taught: the will to learn and reinvent yourself must come from within.
Jeff Bezos’ message
Jeff Bezos emphasizes that no matter how smart AI gets, it can’t match the human ability to create, invent, and solve problems with imagination. These qualities are what helped him as a child on a Texas ranch, what built Amazon and Blue Origin, and what he still looks for in every new hire.
In a world full of rapid technological change, invention isn’t just valuable — it’s the key to standing out, staying relevant, and shaping the future. Do you agree with Bezos’ point of view? Is it being creative the main thing when it comes to a job?