He predicted that in the next two decades, advancements in AI will significantly reduce the global reliance on human labour across both white-collar and blue-collar professions.
“Let’s say 20 years from now, AI will have changed things enough that just this pure capitalistic framework probably won’t explain much because AI both sort of white-collar type work and, as blue-collar workers, the robots will get some good hands and are able to do the physical things the humans do,” said Gates told Kamath.
During the conversation, Gates remarked that the world will no longer face shortages in professions such as doctors, teachers, or factory workers.
“Those shortages won’t exist. And so it’s a pretty profound change that will free up a lot of time,” he said.
He further noted, “You can retire early, shorter work weeks, and it’s going to require almost a philosophical rethink about, ‘okay, how should time be spent?’ Because we don’t need it to make enough food and make enough widgets and medical diagnosis, we will have created free intelligence.”
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The wide-ranging interview also covered discussions on tech leaders like Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk, and Steve Jobs, Gates’ memoir Source Code, his visits to India, and more.Last week, ET reported that Microsoft is considering a fresh wave of job cuts as early as May, as part of efforts to further refine its organisational setup. This reflects a broader pattern of workforce reductions seen across the global tech sector, affecting companies like Amazon, Meta, Google, and others.