Bill Gates appeared recently in The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. They talked about their new book source code, their childhood and 50 years of Microsoft. But the most powerful part of the conversation was about the future, especially the emergence of ai and what it means to our work. Gates shared his thoughts in a way that had hopes, but honest. He believes that ai will change the world in large ways, and faster than we expect. He also talked about works that ai cannot replace in the near future. Let's take a look at them.
The new era of abundant intelligence
According to Gates, we are entering a time when intelligence, once a rare and expensive product, is becoming accessible and abundant, thanks to ai. He compared it with how computer energy was once expensive, but finally became cheap and generalized.
The era we have reached is a kind of vision that computer science was expensive and basically became free. The era that we are just beginning is that intelligence is rare … and with ai, during the next decade, that will become free.
This change could lead to incredible advances in areas such as medicine, education and mental health, the fields that have long suffered the shortage of qualified professionals.
Set global shortage in medical care and education
Gates highlighted how ai can help address systemic shortage in medical care and education by replicating the type of knowledge and the vision he would expect from a superior medical or teacher.
Great medical advice, excellent tutoring … solves problems such as we do not have enough doctors or mental health professionals.
He sees this as especially promising for unattended regions, where ai could offer a minimum cost solutions, something previously unimaginable.
Also read: 8 future predictions by Jensen Huang that sound like science fiction
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-will-ai-replace-jobs-gates-says-for-some-yes”>Will ai replace the work? Gates says: For some, yes
Naturally, with such a potential, there are also challenges. Gate did not hit him: many works that involve doing things, moving goods or even growing food could be automated in the future.
Not for most things, “he joked Gates when asked if humans would still be necessary.” Over time, those will be basically solved problems.
This suggests an important change in the workforce. If ai manages much of the labor, we will have to redefine how productivity and employment looks, possibly changing to the shortest jobs or new types of value creation.
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-jobs-ai-can-t-replace-yet-the-human-touch-still-matters”>Jobs ai cannot replace (yet): the human touch still matters
Despite the exaggeration around ai, Gates believes that there are work categories where human beings will remain essential, at least in the predictable future. Here are ai is unlikely that 5 jobs will be taken in the short term in the short term:
- Mental health professionals: While ai can offer support tools, human empathy, cultural understanding and emotional nuances are still irreplaceable in therapy and advice.
- Creative artists and interpreters: Writers, musicians, visual artists, comedians, while ai can imitate styles, lacks depth, personal experiences and cultural spontaneity that drive truly significant art.
- Qualified trades (electricians, plumbers, mechanics): The works that involve the practical and unpredictable resolution of problems in the physical world are still difficult to handle for robots and artificial intelligence, especially controlled environments outside the time.
- Leaders and strategists: CEO, entrepreneurs, community organizers, roles that involve vision, ethical decision making and navigation of human complexities will always require a human to the helm.
- Educators (especially early childhood and special education): Teaching, especially for young children or students with special needs, implies trust, social modeling and emotional intelligence that ai cannot authentically replicate.
“We don't want to see computers play baseball“Gates joked, reminding us that some human experiences are simply irreplaceable.
Also read: 6 Andrew Ng ideas about why coding is essential
Final note
Bill Gates' conversation with Jimmy Fallon was more than a nostalgic trip through his past: it was a clear look to the future. While the ai will transform the industries and redefine how work looks, Gates believes that the human spirit, our creativity, empathy and resistance will continue to be central.
So yes, the future will be different. But it is still ours to shape.
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