AI Is Not Replacing All Jobs, And 'We Still Need Those Software Engineers'

Bill Gates
Microsoft co-founder and former CEO

When speaking talk about technology and advances in computers, there is only a few people that should first come into mind.

One of the them, should be Bill Gates

As the co-founder of Microsoft, which made world-changing software, like Windows, Office, Bing and many more, pretty much everything he says seems to be taken into consideration by many people.

In the debut episode of Nikhil Kamath’s podcast series, Gates spoke all about AI and its equation for entrepreneurs, and expressed his optimism regarding the job security.

The billionaire answered some people's concerns about AI replacing jobs, particularly software engineers.

Bill Gates.
Bill Gates.

In the podcast, the Microsoft co-founder and its former CEO, said that:

"We still need those software engineers as we are not going to stop needing them."

In the past, Gates have long downplayed people's fears about losing their jobs, and called these people "alarmists."

It's certain that Gates acknowledges the far-off possibility of AI automation reaching a point where it could replace all jobs within a decade or two, and it didn't expect OpenAI's ChatGPT to "get so good," but Gates has long tried dismissing the notion, and prefer not to talk about it.

He even admitted some of the uncertainties with a smile, hinting at the difficulty of precisely predicting AI's long-term influence on the workforce.

This message however, reassures the software engineering communities who are facing anxieties about job displacement due to AI advancements, that AI is not going to replace their works, or not anytime soon.

"The amazing thing about this technology is that we know it can help in key areas, and we know it can create educational tutors."

"We have seen several projects in India and the US showing great results."

"The potential is incredible if we knew that all it did was make jobs more productive," Gates said in the interview, highlighting AI's positive impact on education and other crucial fields."

Read: 'Didn't Expect ChatGPT To Get So Good,' As AI Is Expected To Take Away People's Jobs

Instead of worrying about the future, Gates seemingly suggests people to instead embrace it.

He advises people to build AI models on Google, Microsoft and OpenAI, and see how things go. Gates highlighted that by using these robust AI platforms, where entrepreneurs can focus more on developing specific applications rather than spending significant resources on creating the foundational AI technology themselves.

“I’d probably build some AI thing and just use the Google Microsoft platforms and go on top of that and try,” he said, suggesting young entrepreneurs to use established AI platforms to build applications on top of them.

Considering how developing foundational AI models from scratch requires immense capital and technical expertise, Gates suggested that by leveraging existing platforms, entrepreneurs can bypass these hurdles, making their ventures more resource-efficient.

Gates also believes that integrating with AI platforms from major tech companies can lead to valuable collaborations and growth opportunities.

After all, tech giants often have programs and networks that support startups, providing mentorship and potential funding.