Microsoft’s cofounder Bill Gates believes that technology will not replace humans but could make a 3-day work week possible.
The billionaire shared his views during a 45-minute conversation with comedian and writer Trevor Noah on his podcast ‘What Now’. Gates spoke glowingly about AI’s potential. He believes that AI can not only enhance productivity and will be able to help in tasks like programming and testing. For example, he claims that he will be a blessing for healthcare, as it can reduce paperwork for doctors.
When asked about the potential threat of AI to jobs, Gates claimed that AI will not take jobs for will “change it forever”. He believed that there’s a likely possibility that society will adapt as long as the transition happens as a manageable pace with adequate government support.
With AI, there could one day be a time when humans “don’t have to work so hard”. This would lead to a society where less manual labor is needed and would result in people having more leisure time.
Gates concluded, “If you eventually get a society where you only have to work three days a week, that’s probably OK.”
On the other hand, Gates acknowledged the limitations in fully understanding AI by citing a basic example of an LLM making simple mathematical errors. While AI is becoming smarter, the billionaire expressed his worries about it being used for more malicious and potentially harmful purposes like cyberattacks and deepfakes.
Thus, he believes that AI possesses a fundamental duality as it can be a tool for potential empowerment and inspiration but can also be used to polarize and harm people.
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