There’s significant uproar regarding AI and its rapid development and advancement. Numerous assertions have been made that AI will take over our occupations or even lead to humanity’s downfall. Some dismiss these worries as fearmongering, while others are more skeptical. Now, the Godfather of AI himself acknowledges that AI could indeed substitute certain jobs.
Despite being dubbed the “Godfather of AI,” Geoffrey Hinton has been quite vocal about the threats that AI presents to humanity. While Hinton hasn’t explicitly claimed that AI will signal the end of the world, he has previously cautioned that AI might surpass humanity if we are not cautious with it.
AI could indeed replace specific jobs
There is certainly no denying that AI could take over some roles, particularly as businesses seek ways to reduce expenses. Naturally, there are numerous discussions regarding the loss of the human element, especially in more creative sectors. Nevertheless, Hinton himself states that there are probably some positions that will remain safe from AI, at least temporarily.
During a podcast titled The Diary of a CEO on YouTube, Hinton cautioned that “for mundane intellectual labor, AI is simply going to replace everybody.” By this “mundane intellectual labor,” he refers to white-collar professions. The intention would be to substitute ten individuals with one AI assistant capable of performing all human tasks, but at a quicker pace.
We are already witnessing this in various sectors, and while I won’t claim the results have been particularly favorable, companies persist in seeking ways to utilize AI to reduce expenses, which has resulted in job losses in recent times. For instance, Hinton mentioned that positions like paralegals could be at considerable risk of extinction due to AI.
Moreover, he expressed that he would be “terrified” to work in a call center, as those roles are ideal for automation. In fact, we have observed an increasing number of companies adopting automated systems for managing phone jobs such as bill payments, essential troubleshooting, and so on.
AI will not replace certain jobs, at least for a time
However, Hinton remarked that there are some jobs AI won’t be able to take over in the near future. “I’d say it’s going to be a long time before AI is as proficient at physical manipulation,” he observed in the podcast. Therefore, he advised anyone concerned about their job being taken by AI to start training for blue-collar roles, such as plumbing or other trades.
