Bill Gates says AI could cause a rapid wave of job displacement and wealth concentration, and he wants governments to prepare now with new policies, including taxes on AI and robots.
In an essay published on his Gates Notes website Wednesday, Gates said the transition to the AI era could be one of the most turbulent periods in human history and argued that governments are not preparing adequately. He said AI could either become a major force for equality or widen the gap between rich and poor.
Gates said AI is advancing faster than earlier technologies because it can run on devices people already use, work through natural language and learn from existing data. He said its effects could spread across law, customer service, medicine, software and manufacturing within a decade rather than over several generations.
Job Losses Could Spread
Gates said many jobs could disappear permanently, with entry-level and mid-level roles among the most exposed. He said new jobs may require skills that take years to develop, leaving displaced workers struggling to transition.
