Bill Gates predicts that artificial intelligence will replace physicians, teachers, and other professions over the next decade.
While discussing his view on the future of artificial intelligence (AI) on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon last month, the Microsoft co-founder, who is one of the world’s most prominent businesspeople and philanthropists, stated that humans will soon be obsolete “for the majority of things.”
In a Feb. 4 Tonight Show visit to promote Gates’ new novel Source Code, presenter Jimmy Fallon urged the billionaire, 69, to weigh in on the hot-button issue of artificial intelligence, describing the merits and dangers in “layman’s terms” — and he did.
“So the era we’ve come to is sort of the vision that computing was expensive, and it basically became free,” according to Gates. “We are just entering an era in which intellect is uncommon, such as a brilliant doctor or teacher. And with AI, access to such intellect will become widespread and affordable within the next decade. Do you realize how commonplace that is?” Great medical advice and tutoring.”
“And it’s profound,” the tech mogul said, “because it solves all these specific problems, like, we don’t have enough doctors or, you know, mental health professionals.”
However, he emphasized that this alleged rush of intellect “brings with it so much change,” raising issues such as, “What will jobs be like?” He then posed the question, “Should we only work two or three days a week?”
Gates continued, “I am enthusiastic about the potential for innovation to be driven forward, but I believe it is somewhat unknown.” He then posed a question regarding the future role of AI: “Will we be able to influence it?”
“So, legitimately, people are like, ‘Wow, this is a bit scary.'” “It’s entirely new territory,” he explained.
Along with an expansion in AI across vocations, the Microsoft co-founder sees a reduced role for humans, he told Fallon, 50. “I mean, will we still need humans?” Fallon inquired, to which Gates responded, “Not for most things.”
However, he stated that “we’ll decide” what humans’ continuing role would be.
“You know, like baseball.” “We won’t be interested in watching computers play baseball,” Gates stated. “So there’ll be some things that we reserve for ourselves, but in terms of making things and moving things and growing food, over time, those will be basically solved problems.”
Fallon also inquired about the billionaire’s sources of optimism during his Tonight Show interview, asking, “What motivates you to maintain a positive outlook on the future?”
How did Gates respond? Gates highlighted the potential to enhance health, ranging from Alzheimer’s disease to polio, and the potential for innovation to enhance the worldwide environment.
“There’s a lot of great stuff coming along,” the benefactor stated. So I am slightly more optimistic about that than individuals who are not privy to the innovation pipeline.”
Gates went on the talk program to promote Source Code, the first book of a planned trilogy of memoirs about his boyhood and young adulthood.
In an interview with PEOPLE about the book, which was released on February 4, Gates said, “Generally, I’m completely focused on what’s coming next, the next innovation, but a few years ago I realized that 2025 would be the year I turned 70, the year Microsoft turned 50, and the year the Gates Foundation turned 25.”
This epiphany, he told PEOPLE, caused him to reflect on how, “through luck and a variety of things, my parents and early friends put me in a position to have a wonderful life, be extremely lucky, and be at the center of the digital revolution.” So he thought to himself, “Reflecting on that would be good for me.”