Want to protect yourself from AI? Invest, says BlackRock’s Larry Fink

By Chris Isidore, CNN

(CNN) — Artificial intelligence could widen the problem of income inequality, said BlackRock CEO Larry Fink in his annual letter to shareholders.

And, while that might not be a particularly new point of view, his proposed solutions are not as typical. In his letter, released Monday, he said he believes that more participation in stock markets and a revamped Social Security program could be the answer to closing that wealth gap.

“When we talk about the economic disruption of AI, most of the conversation is about jobs,” said Fink, whose asset management firm handles more than $14 trillion of clients’ money, in the letter. “That’s an enormously important question, and one that goes beyond economics. Work provides income, purpose, and dignity.”

But he said that even if AI does reduce demand for some jobs, especially for entry-level white collar jobs, there are opportunities in the labor market.

“In the near term, there are roles we know are in clear demand, and pay well: skilled trades, especially the ones building the physical infrastructure of AI, like data centers, power systems, and electrical grids,” he said.

He said there needs to be more than just greater training opportunities in skills like electricians, plumbing and construction trades.

“For decades, many societies have equated success with a university degree and a white-collar path. As technology reshapes parts of that landscape, we need a broader conversation about opportunity, dignity, and the value of different kinds of work,” he said.

Earlier this month, BlackRock announced a $100 million initiative to expand skilled trades development over the next five years.

In his letter, Fink said Jensen Huang, CEO of AI chipmaker Nvidia, told him, “Everybody should be able to make a great living. You don’t need a PhD in computer science to do so.”

Need for broader investment

Fink also said that with the disruption to society and the economy caused by AI, it’s more critical that a greater share of the population has access to investments in stocks to avoid the widening wealth gap.

“The vast majority of wealth has flowed to people who owned assets, not to people who earned most of their money by working,” he wrote.

“People often want to invest in their own country’s financial markets, but don’t have the means,” he added. Therefore, it’s important to have broader investment opportunities for workers, he argued.

“History suggests that transformative technologies create enormous value—and much of that value accrues to the companies that build and deploy them, and to the investors who own them,” he wrote.

“There’s a real risk artificial intelligence could widen wealth inequality if ownership does not broaden alongside it.”

Among the ideas he endorsed is a proposal for a diversified government retirement investment fund parallel to the existing Social Security trust fund, not replacing it, with an initial investment of roughly $1.5 trillion.

“This would not mean privatizing Social Security or putting it all into the stock market,” he wrote. “It would mean introducing a measure of diversification.”

“I understand why any talk of changing Social Security makes people uneasy,” he said. “Social Security is a core promise, and people rightly believe it should be honored. But under the current system, doing nothing could very well break that promise.”

BlackRock is the world’s largest investment firm, with much of its assets held in retirement plans. Those assets rose $698 billion in 2025 alone.

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