Bill Gates Warns of 20 Years of Turmoil Driven by Artificial Intelligence

The Microsoft co-founder believes that even if the technology is managed successfully , AI could disrupt jobs and reshape society .

Bill Gates has warned that even in the best-case scenario , artificial intelligence could bring economic and social changes lasting twenty years , disrupting jobs and people’s lives .

In an interview on the Decoder podcast on Thursday , the Microsoft co-founder said the transition to an AI- driven economy will create winners and losers , could reshape employment and raise questions about people’s roles in society .

“My biggest worry is the 20-year transition period . There will be winners and losers , and there will be a lot of disruption ,” said Gates , 70. He added that society may have to go through this turmoil before potentially entering an era of abundance .

Gates presented the timeframe as a rough estimate rather than a firm prediction . He said the transition could be shorter or longer , depending on technological advances and decisions about slowing development .

In Gates’s view , advances in AI and humanoid robotics could eventually allow machines to perform much of the physical labor now done by humans , including building houses , growing food and even performing surgery .

These advances could reduce shortages of goods and services . Even so , Gates suggested that societies might deliberately reserve certain activities for humans , such as child care , cooking , art and sports .

While highlighting AI’s potential benefits in health care and agriculture , the billionaire philanthropist warned that governments and society are not sufficiently prepared for its rapid development .

He called for stronger government oversight and technical safeguards against cyberattacks and biological threats . According to Gates , AI companies alone cannot be responsible for managing the risks .

Gates also said that even under the most favorable conditions , the development of AI could become one of the most difficult and turbulent periods in human history .

“I hate being the bearer of troubling news about this , but it would be even worse not to tell people it’s going to happen . As humans , we have choices about how we shape it ,” he said .