A renowned computer scientist, often referred to as the ‘godfather of AI’, has identified various jobs he believes may become obsolete due to technological advancements.
Recent progress in technology has led to a significant focus on AI, influencing both industry practices and everyday life.
While ChatGPT is gaining popularity, there is a genuine concern that AI could eventually replace numerous jobs.
Geoffrey Hinton, a former employee of Google, is actively working to highlight the potential risks associated with artificial intelligence.
Known as the ‘Godfather of AI’, Hinton resigned from Google in 2023 to warn the public about what he perceives as a threat posed by AI to humanity.
So, which professions could be endangered by the rise of AI?
Call center jobs, once a popular career choice, may soon become obsolete, according to Hinton.
In a discussion with Steven Bartlett on The Diary of a CEO podcast, the 77-year-old remarked, “If I worked in a call center, I’d be terrified. I think it’s beginning to happen already.”
He continued, “I read an article in The Atlantic recently that said it’s already getting hard for university graduates to get jobs.”
“And part of that may be that people are already using AI for the jobs they would have gotten,” he added.
Hinton emphasized, “If you get a big increase in productivity, everybody should be better off.”
“But if you can replace lots of people by AI, then the people who get replaced will be worse off, and the company that supplies the AI will be much better off than the company that uses the AI.”
The support roles within the legal field, tasked with aiding in research and document preparation, might also face extinction.
Hinton suggested these jobs may not last much longer, potentially leading to a ‘wealth inequality issue’.
During a conference in 2023, he also pointed out the risks of AI biases, which could have severe implications: “AI trained by good people will have a bias towards good; AI trained by bad people such as Putin or somebody like that will have a bias towards bad.”
“We know they’re going to make battle robots. They’re not going to necessarily be good since their primary purpose is going to be to kill people,” he warned.
Despite the potential job threats, Hinton believes one career remains relatively secure: plumbing.
When questioned about career advice, Hinton stated, “In the meantime, I’d say it’s going to be a long time before it’s as good at physical manipulation as us and so a good bet would be to be a plumber.”
This prediction may lead to an increase in plumbing course enrollments.
Numerous notable individuals have expressed opinions about AI; Stephen Hawking and Bill Gates have issued warnings concerning its development, while Elon Musk has already integrated AI into his business operations.