Bill Gates: Ban AI from taking some jobs from humans
Robots and AI should be banned from taking some human jobs, Bill Gates has said.
The billionaire founder of Microsoft called for parts of the labour market to be marked as “human reserved”, either to shield workers from layoffs or because humans would do the work better.
The philanthropist also said businesses should be taxed on their use of AI software and robotics, similar to a payroll tax on human workers, to slow the rush to replace people with machines.
In an essay on his concerns about AI development, Mr Gates warned politicians were not prepared for the coming wave of economic and social disruption from the technology.
He wrote: “Even under the best circumstances, the transition to this new AI era will be one of the most turbulent times in human history.
“Unfortunately ... I don’t see evidence that leaders, experts and communities are confronting the challenges adequately.”
Mr Gates, who is worth more than $100bn (£74bn), said the issue was too important to be left to the tech companies to sort out themselves.
He said he planned to lobby for action “before unemployment rises sharply”.
His proposals included barring AI from certain jobs. These could include roles as caregivers, teachers or medical workers.
He added some roles could be set aside as “human reserved” for economic reasons. “We may do it because allowing machines to take over a certain role will displace a large number of people who can’t easily change jobs,” he said.
Mr Gates claimed these reserved roles were inspired by “nature reserves – places where we could put buildings and roads, but we choose not to because the loss would be too great”.
The billionaire said he expected swathes of white-collar roles to be affected by AI, but that blue-collar factory jobs would be lost too.
“Many Americans I talk to don’t realise how fast dexterous robots are advancing,” he said, a trend that is being driven by China.
He told Reuters he was planning to meet Xi Jinping during the Chinese president’s visit to the US next month, to raise the alarm about the risks of AI.
Mr Gates said AI could be phased into some human-reserved areas, but that sectors such as education and mental health care should remain “a mix, with a human in charge who’s using the technology to extend what they can do”.
Mr Gates said AI could deliver substantial benefits to workers and businesses, including sectors such as healthcare and agriculture. His Gates Foundation plans to spend $200bn in such sectors over the next two decades.
But unlike previous industrial advances, the workforce upheaval would happen in a few decades rather than over several generations.
The billionaire proposed taxing robots to “slow the rush away from human labour a little and raise money for retraining and a stronger safety net”.
Investment bank JP Morgan said this week that humanoid robots could work in US warehouses at one third the cost of humans.
Mr Gates acknowledged that the tax would reduce efficiency, but said its critics were “not considering the broader value of work for individuals and society”.
Some technology leaders, including bosses from Anthropic, have advocated a pause in AI development.
Robots and AI should be banned from taking some human jobs, Bill Gates has said.
The billionaire founder of Microsoft called for parts of the labour market to be marked as “human reserved”, either to shield workers from layoffs or because humans would do the work better.
The philanthropist also said businesses should be taxed on their use of AI software and robotics, similar to a payroll tax on human workers, to slow the rush to replace people with machines.
In an essay on his concerns about AI development, Mr Gates warned politicians were not prepared for the coming wave of economic and social disruption from the technology.
He wrote: “Even under the best circumstances, the transition to this new AI era will be one of the most turbulent times in human history.
“Unfortunately ... I don’t see evidence that leaders, experts and communities are confronting the challenges adequately.”
Mr Gates, who is worth more than $100bn (£74bn), said the issue was too important to be left to the tech companies to sort out themselves.
He said he planned to lobby for action “before unemployment rises sharply”.
His proposals included barring AI from certain jobs. These could include roles as caregivers, teachers or medical workers.
He added some roles could be set aside as “human reserved” for economic reasons. “We may do it because allowing machines to take over a certain role will displace a large number of people who can’t easily change jobs,” he said.
Mr Gates claimed these reserved roles were inspired by “nature reserves – places where we could put buildings and roads, but we choose not to because the loss would be too great”.
The billionaire said he expected swathes of white-collar roles to be affected by AI, but that blue-collar factory jobs would be lost too.
“Many Americans I talk to don’t realise how fast dexterous robots are advancing,” he said, a trend that is being driven by China.
He told Reuters he was planning to meet Xi Jinping during the Chinese president’s visit to the US next month, to raise the alarm about the risks of AI.
Mr Gates said AI could be phased into some human-reserved areas, but that sectors such as education and mental health care should remain “a mix, with a human in charge who’s using the technology to extend what they can do”.
Mr Gates said AI could deliver substantial benefits to workers and businesses, including sectors such as healthcare and agriculture. His Gates Foundation plans to spend $200bn in such sectors over the next two decades.
But unlike previous industrial advances, the workforce upheaval would happen in a few decades rather than over several generations.
The billionaire proposed taxing robots to “slow the rush away from human labour a little and raise money for retraining and a stronger safety net”.
Investment bank JP Morgan said this week that humanoid robots could work in US warehouses at one third the cost of humans.
Mr Gates acknowledged that the tax would reduce efficiency, but said its critics were “not considering the broader value of work for individuals and society”.
Some technology leaders, including bosses from Anthropic, have advocated a pause in AI development.
