Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates warns that the rapid development of Artificial Intelligence (AI) will bring sweeping changes to the labour market, stressing the need to decide which professions should remain solely in the hands of people.
Speaking on the show State of the Union of CNN, Gates stressed that Artificial Intelligence is evolving at an extremely fast pace and may affect almost all professional branches, causing job losses on an unprecedented scale.
As he explained, the progress of AI systems and economic incentives to replace human work with automated solutions make it necessary to have a wider social debate on the future of employment.
«In the coming years, we should decide as a society how to tax the use of Artificial Intelligence or robots and in which areas we want to ensure that jobs remain for people», reported features.
He acknowledged that the idea of maintaining certain professions exclusively for humans may now seem strange. However, he felt that as the possibilities of AI widen, the need for such decisions will become increasingly urgent.
Training and health at heart
Gates has already argued that certain areas, such as education and healthcare, should keep their human role strong. Personal contact, the human crisis and the relationship of trust with the educator or health professional are important parameters in the debate on the limits of automation.
At the same time, he warned that one of the most immediate risks is the malicious use of Artificial Intelligence, especially for making cyber attacks.
Microsoft's co-founder also estimated that the self-regulation of AI companies will not be enough in the long term and that stricter state supervision will be needed, with security mechanisms similar to those applied to aviation and drugs.
Changes and pressures on the labour market
Gates' warnings come at a time when businesses adapt their strategy to AI's new capabilities. Automation can increase productivity, but at the same time it changes the needs of companies to personal and specialized skills.
In the technology sector, this trend is already linked to the shift from mass recruitment to the search for workers with more skilled knowledge and ability to exploit new tools.
At the same time, stricter immigration rules in the United States create additional challenges for IT companies based on recruitment of workers from abroad.
The big question about the future
The discussion on Artificial Intelligence is no longer only about technological progress, but also about how the economy will be organised in the coming years.
The taxation of automation, the protection of workers and the definition of professions in which human presence will remain necessary are expected to be key issues of public policy.
The crucial question is whether governments, businesses and society will be able to adapt in time so that the benefits of Artificial Intelligence are combined with the protection of employment and the maintenance of human role in critical areas.
