Gates warns AI could disrupt work for about 20 years

Bill Gates warned that artificial intelligence and humanoid robots could disrupt employment for about two decades before producing broad abundance, and urged governments to consider measures such as taxing AI-generated wealth and reserving some work for people. In remarks reported from interviews and a podcast, the Microsoft co-founder said AI could eventually perform tasks across invention, office work and physical labor. He described the transition as potentially difficult for workers and society, while stressing that its length is an estimate, not a fixed forecast. He said it could be shorter or longer depending on technological advances and decisions about whether to slow development. Gates identified telephone sales, customer support and accounting as office roles that AI may do faster, more cheaply or accurately. He also said humanoid robots could take on physical work. His examples of possible future tasks for machines included building homes, growing food and performing surgery. These are forecasts about the technology’s potential, not evidence that those jobs have already been broadly displaced. He argued that businesses have incentives to replace workers when...