Bill Gates says humans aren’t ready for AI changes:Jobs at risk, youth to be most affected; he urges governments to plan now

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has said that humans are not prepared for the changes coming from AI in the future. He warned that AI could eliminate millions of jobs, which will have the greatest impact on the younger generation. Gates said that the world must prepare now for the rapid changes brought about by AI. According to him, its impact could extend to jobs, governments, businesses, and even human relationships. In his new blog, Gates wrote, ‘The disruptive era of AI has arrived. The decisions made now are very important.’ He discussed both the benefits and risks of AI. Gates described the shift in the AI era as one of the most disruptive periods in human history. He said that AI could help in everything from assisting doctors and teachers to improving agriculture and government services. However, he maintains that society is not prepared for the changes this technology will bring. Three major risks from AI According to Gates, with the changes in AI, humanity faces three major threats. The first of these is the loss of jobs. He said that AI can handle not just one sector, but also work in law, customer service, medical, software, and manufacturing. Gates wrote in his blog, “This will impact these industries rapidly over a decade rather than over a few generations.” He said that the change associated with AI will be very fast in the coming years. According to him, the greatest threat from AI is to entry-level and mid-level jobs. Many new jobs created in the AI era will require skills that take years to learn. Gates said that AI will impact many sectors, including sales and customer support, software engineering, paralegal work, law, medical, and manufacturing. He wrote, “Some new jobs will certainly be created, but without the right policies, their number will be significantly lower than the jobs that exist today.” He said that its impact will not be limited to office work alone. According to Gates, by the end of the decade, ‘smart’ robots could start competing with humans for certain physical tasks in sectors like manufacturing and the hospitality industry. Concern over fewer opportunities for the youth Gates said that the pace of this change makes the future particularly worrying. He wrote, “I am most concerned about the young people who will enter the workforce with fewer entry-level jobs.” According to him, as AI becomes more capable, it may become difficult for young people to land their first job. He said, “This means they will have fewer opportunities to gain experience and learn from older employees.” Warning of increased cyber threats from AI Gates’ second concern is that AI could make existing digital threats even more powerful. He mentioned threats such as fraud, deepfakes, misinformation, and cyberattacks. Gates said that as AI improves, it may become difficult to control these risks. He is also concerned that governments could use powerful AI systems in dangerous ways. Gates warned, “Bad actors will have new and powerful tools at their disposal.” Call to plan for AI transition Gates has not asked the world to slow down the pace of AI. He believes that this technology can provide major benefits, from helping doctors and teachers to improving government services. However, he appealed to policymakers to plan for dealing with the worst possible future impacts. He said, “We need a plan to manage the transition to AI.” According to him, these changes could happen faster than society’s ability to adapt. Gates wants governments to work together on jobs, education, healthcare, taxes, energy, and national security. He has suggested keeping some work reserved for humans under the ‘human-reserved’ concept. According to him, jobs that require empathy and human connection should specifically remain with humans. He has also suggested imposing a tax on AI tokens and robots, so that funds can be raised to provide retraining and support to employees affected by automation.