Key Takeaways
- Geoffrey Hinton, known as the Godfather of AI, said that the technology will “very likely” cause mass unemployment.
- The data backs it up too, with some studies pointing to the technology replacing as many as 100 million jobs in the next decade.
- Jobs are already on their way out, with big tech firms like IBM and Amazon laying off huge percentages of their workforce in the last year.
Even the Godfather of AI knows that we’re headed towards something problematic, with the famed British computer scientist agreeing that the technology will “very likely” lead to mass unemployment.
AI is designed to take people’s jobs. Whether or not companies are willing to admit it yet is another story, but that is the reason that trillions of dollars are being spent to develop it.
Many companies are already very much aware of that fact, given that mass layoffs have become a staple of the tech industry over the last few years, and it’s not slowing down any time soon.
Mass Unemployment ‘Very Likely’ Due to AI
In a discussion with Senator Bernie Sanders at Georgetown University, the Godfather of AI noted that the technology is probably going to cause some serious issues for the employment market in the coming years.
“It seems very likely to a large number of people that we will get massive unemployment caused by AI.” – Geoffrey Hinton, British computer scientist
He also explains, though, that the evolution of AI is shrouded in mystery, given the infancy of the technology and the widespread adoption at such a quick rate. He compared it to “when you drive in fog. You can see clearly for 100 yards and at 200 yards you can see nothing.”
Mass Unemployment Predictions
Hinton isn’t speaking out of turn on this one, either. Data very much supports his argument that jobs are on the way out, and it could be even worse than he’s predicting.
As Senator Sanders pointed out in the discussion, an October study showed that as many as 100 million jobs could be obsolete in the next 10 years.
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“It’s not just economics. Work, whether being a janitor or a brain surgeon, is an integral part of being human. The vast majority of people want to be productive members of society and contribute to their communities. What happens when that vital aspect of human existence is removed from our lives?” – Bernie Sanders on FOX News
Layoffs in the Tech Industry
If you don’t think mass unemployment is a realistic outcome of AI, you probably aren’t paying attention to the tech industry right now. In the last few years, companies like IBM, Amazon, Microsoft, and dozens of other have laid off massive percentages of their workforce.
Even worse, in many cases, these companies are completely transparent about why, noting that the extra capital is now needed for AI investment, rather than supporting humans that want to work.
As Hinton puts it, the timeline is pretty murky. AI is still quite prone to errors and humans are still generally required to do a lot of the work in the world. But, as the technology evolves, there will be some big changes that require us to reconsider the role of work in the human experience.
