Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has stated that although artificial intelligence is now capable of performing basic tasks, it still falls short when it comes to tackling the most advanced programming problems. Speaking with CNN’s Fareed Zakaria, the tech magnate noted that opinions among specialists are divided—some believe AI could reach this level within a year or two, while others think it may take another decade.
“People talk about writing code. Simple coding tasks, AI today can replace human work. The most complex coding tasks, it’s not able to do it yet. And people in the field disagree if that is (happening) in the next year or two, or is it more like ten years away? But AI is improving at a rate that surprises me. Things like this deep research capability. Few times a day I take some complex question and just for fun, I see that AI does an awfully good job, gathering all the materials and bringing it and summarising what I need to know,” Bill Gates said.
Highlighting AI’s potential to replace human labor and creativity, Gates added, “People use very different definitions. You can say when is AI is so good that something like a telesales job or a telesupport job, just having the AI do that work, that it’s way cheaper and more accurate than humans are.
Bill Gates acknowledged AI’s powerful and transformative impact:
During the conversation, Bill Gates recognized the profound and game-changing impact of artificial intelligence. He noted, “When you improve productivity, it shouldn’t mean that if you get less productive, that’s bad. And if you get more productive, that’s good. It means you can free up these people to have a smaller class size, have longer vacations, or to help do more. The question is, if it comes so fast that you don’t have time to adjust to it.”
AI may replace up to 80% of today’s jobs:
During his appearance on Nikhil Kamath’s WTF podcast, billionaire investor and Silicon Valley trailblazer Vinod Khosla shared striking views on the future of artificial intelligence. He encouraged the younger generation to rethink conventional career paths, warning that AI could render up to 80% of existing jobs obsolete within the next five years.
In a recent interview with Zerodha CEO, Khosla said, “This is going to be one of the biggest transitions humanity has ever seen. Most of the jobs you see today will be automated, but there will be so many new things to do.”
In a future shaped by artificial intelligence, Vinod Khosla predicts a growing preference for generalists. When Nikhil Kamath asked whether students should specialize or develop broad skill sets, Khosla firmly supported the broader approach. “Be a generalist,” he advised, noting that AI will outperform humans in highly specialized, narrowly focused tasks.
