Bill Gates is extremely optimistic about the future of artificial intelligence (AI) and has been driving the development of the industry. His latest prediction is that this technology will change everyone's life in the next five years.
Gates stated in his speech at the Davos Forum that after ChatGPT, AI can read and write. This is a huge progress. For white-collar workers, they can handle a lot of daily work, and a lot of analytical work can be completed in an instant, greatly improving work efficiency.
Gates believes that within five years, AI will have a significant impact on productivity. This has also led to a shift in the working mode in the scientific field, where molecular dynamics simulation analysis is conducted on candidates/patients participating in medical experiments to prescribe targeted treatments.
Of course, the rise of artificial intelligence has raised concerns that this technology will eliminate countless jobs worldwide. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) released a report this week stating that AI technology will affect nearly 40% of global employment, making employment in developed countries more susceptible to AI compared to emerging markets and low-income countries.
Gates believes that historical development has shown that every new technology brings fear, but next is a new opportunity. "In fact, many new things and job categories have been created, and our lives are generally much better than before."
Due to the lack of "too much new hardware", Gates stated that accessing AI programs will be achieved through a phone or personal computer already connected to the internet.
Gates also claimed on the same day that the goal of the Gates Foundation is to ensure that people in poor countries benefit and to narrow the wealth gap with rich countries. In this week's report, the IMF's view is not as optimistic. The organization stated that without government intervention, AI will exacerbate inequality and the wealth gap between different income groups will further widen.
In terms of AI governance, Gates pointed out that AI has a wide range of applications, such as being used to carry out cyber attacks or manufacture biological and chemical weapons. However, so far, every technology invented by humans has not lost control, even terrifying things like nuclear weapons. Therefore, the key is how to establish AI development and guidelines to minimize negative impacts.
Gates doesn't seem to be worried about the risks of AI in elections. He said that it is necessary to label the content generated by AI, so that people can confirm whether it is a false or real event after seeing the news.