Bill Gates warns: "There is no plan to deal with the AI shake-up"
Bill Gates warns that there is currently no plan to address the social, political, and economic disruptions caused by artificial intelligence. He argues that leaders and communities are not yet adequately prepared.
Bill Gates warns that "there is no plan" to deal with the "social, political, and economic shake-up" that artificial intelligence is about to cause. The Microsoft founder further said that AI could become "the greatest equalizer ever invented, or the most serious source of injustice," but according to him, he does not see "evidence that leaders, experts, and communities are dealing with the challenges adequately."
In an article published today, Gates wrote that artificial intelligence could displace workers from jobs in a wide range of industries, reduce hiring for entry-level positions, and force policymakers to rethink the fields of employment, education, and the social safety net. In the article, Gates notes that eventually, it will be necessary to establish new national bodies and international institutions that will help coordinate the response to the developing risks of AI around the world and defend against them.
"The challenge is huge. Even under the best conditions, the transition to the new era of artificial intelligence will be one of the most turbulent periods in human history." The billionaire and philanthropist argued that unlike previous technological revolutions, artificial intelligence may replace cognitive work performed by humans in various industries at a faster pace than the workers who lose their jobs will be able to transition to new roles that will be created.
"We need time to prepare for a period of social, political, and economic shake-up that we are about to enter," he wrote. "Unfortunately, right now we are not preparing for it. I do not see evidence that leaders, experts, and communities are dealing with the challenges adequately. There is no plan that will ease the entry into the new era."
According to him, the impact is already being felt in the employment of white-collar workers, as sales, customer service, software engineering, and the work of legal assistants may be among the first fields to be affected. Blue-collar workers will also face pressure as robots with more advanced capabilities become cheaper, Gates said, while young people may enter a job market where there will be fewer vacancies.
"The people who need the most time are those who have the least of it - an accounting clerk who is replaced by a bot or a worker who earns 20 dollars an hour and loses their job to a robot that costs 10 dollars an hour," he added.
Gates also emphasized the positive side of the revolution. According to him, the technology can "accelerate innovation" in dealing with some of the world's most difficult technological challenges - providing clean and reliable energy, fighting climate change, producing enough food, and eradicating diseases.
According to him, managing the transition to the AI era will require the establishment of new national bodies that can coordinate policy in the fields of employment, taxation, energy, elections, public health, the financial system, and national security.
"But even a country that gets its act together will still be exposed to risks that cross borders. That is why, at the same time, it will be necessary to establish an international organization," he wrote. He explained that such bodies could be based on existing models, including the global oversight system in the field of nuclear weapons, the regulation of international aviation, and international agreements for the protection of the ozone layer. "A new global organization for artificial intelligence will need to include elements from all three of these models - and even beyond that."
