AI godfather Geoffrey Hinton's advice to save jobs due to AI
Geoffrey Hinton, one of the pioneers of this technology, is warning that artificial intelligence (AI) will threaten many human jobs in the future. According to him, in order to survive in the future, people should learn tasks that cannot be easily automated. Although manual jobs are safe for now, according to Hinton, many organizational jobs will quickly change shape. AI can already do tasks such as legal assistants, document reviewers or information summaries. As a result, he fears that the need for humans in these professions will decrease.
Recently, in the The Diary of a CEO podcast hosted by UK entrepreneur Steven Bartlett, Hinton said, "Although AI can think, it has not yet come close to humans in physical work. Therefore, becoming a good plumber is a safe and smart decision for the future." In jobs like plumbing, you have to adapt to various real-world situations. Sometimes you have to go under the sink, sometimes you have to stop a sudden leak, and sometimes there is no specific manual for some problems. According to Hinton, such complex, physical and situational tasks are still beyond the power of artificial intelligence.
The 77-year-old Hinton said that he also has doubts about the future of the technology he created. He said that he is most worried about the future of his children and grandchildren. According to him, if artificial intelligence can work completely independently, it can also take control of important infrastructure, including power plants. In that case, even if some people are needed at first, they will be able to create technology that does not need humans at all. In this regard, Hinton said, "If AI goes beyond human control and starts making decisions on its own, it will create alternatives to humans. Then there will be many ways to eliminate people, many of which could be terrible.’
Hinton believes that the biggest concern is not just job losses, but the huge disparities in income and opportunity that are being created by the use of technology. The main beneficiaries of the use of AI are those organizations and individuals who own the technology. And middle and assistant level workers are increasingly at risk of losing their jobs. Although some new professions are being created, according to Hinton, the pace of technological transformation is so fast that many are unable to keep up with this change. This will increase uncertainty and inequality in employment.
