“The Godfather of AI” says that when it comes to replacing AI, some fields are safer than others.
Jeffrey Hinton, 78, is often referred to as the Godfather of AI due to his pioneering work on neural networks that began in the late 1970s. He won the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physics for his work in machine learning and is currently an emeritus professor of computer science at the University of Toronto.
In a recent interview with the podcast “The CEO's Diary,” which aired Monday, Hinton said AI could cause a massive amount of unemployment.
“I think AI will only replace everyone when it comes to mediocre intellectual labor,” Hinton said. ““Ordinary intellectual labor” refers to white-collar work. He designated the alternative to take the form of “people and AI assistants” who do the job “ten people did it before.”
Related: According to a new report, these three occupations are most likely to disappear in the next 20 years due to AI.
Hinton noted that paralegals risk losing their jobs to AI, and said that working in a call center now would be “terrifying” due to the potential for automation. However, he pointed out that blue-collar work takes time to replace AI.
“I think it's going to be a long time ago [AI] Hinton said on the podcast.
In the interview, Hinton also challenged the concept of AI creating new jobs, saying that if AI has automated intellectual tasks, there is little work that people should do.
“You need to be very skilled to do it [AI] I just couldn't,” Hinton said.
Jeffrey Hinton. Photo by Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile for a collision by Getty Images
AI has the potential to reduce employment, particularly for entry-level jobs. A report released last month by venture capital firm SignalFire found that the large tech company has suspended hiring new graduates for entry-level roles, just like in the past. AI is an important reason for the decline.
The report found that the proportion of new graduates in companies such as Meta and Google fell 25% between 2023 and 2024, reaching just 7% in 2024.
Related: The investment company's CEO tells thousands of people in the conference's audience that 60% of them are “looking for work” next year
It's not just the technology industry. Wall Street also shows signs of being affected by AI. In March, Morgan Stanley announced a layoff for 2,000 employees, intending to replace some with AI. A report released in January by Bloomberg Intelligence showed that AI could trigger 200,000 job cuts in 93 major banks, including Citigroup and JPMorgan, within the next five years.
“The Godfather of AI” says that when it comes to replacing AI, some fields are safer than others.
Jeffrey Hinton, 78, is often referred to as the Godfather of AI due to his pioneering work on neural networks that began in the late 1970s. He won the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physics for his work in machine learning and is currently an emeritus professor of computer science at the University of Toronto.
In a recent interview with the podcast “The CEO's Diary,” which aired Monday, Hinton said AI could cause a massive amount of unemployment.
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