Plumbers won't lose their jobs to AI anytime soon
What's the story
Geoffrey Hinton, widely known as the "Godfather of AI," has warned that artificial intelligence (AI) could lead to mass job losses across various sectors.
In a recent interview on the Diary of a CEO podcast, Hinton said that while AI is advancing rapidly in many fields, some physical jobs like plumbing are safe—for now.
He specifically mentioned white-collar roles like paralegals and call center workers as particularly vulnerable to replacement by AI.
Job transformation
'AI will replace human workers for routine intellectual tasks'
Hinton emphasized that for routine intellectual tasks, AI is going to replace human workers.
He said, "You'd have to be very skilled to have a job that it [AI] just couldn't do."
The AI pioneer also noted that while certain industries might see humans working with an AI assistant instead of just the technology, this would still lead to fewer jobs.
Displacement fears
Entry-level jobs already being affected by AI
Hinton warned that mass displacement is more likely than not, and is already happening in some ways.
He said entry-level jobs once held by freshers are already being affected by AI technology.
The ex-Google employee added that he would be "terrified" to work in a call center given the level of automation now possible.
Debate
AI won't just create new jobs, says Hinton
Despite discussions in the tech community about AI creating new job categories, Hinton remains skeptical.
He argued that as more intellectual tasks are automated, there will be fewer and fewer tasks left for humans.
"If it automates all the intellectual jobs, then what is there for people to do?" he asked.
Concerns
Effect of joblessness
Hinton also expressed concerns about the psychological result of joblessness, even if governments implement universal basic income schemes to offset the job losses. "Even if you have UBI, people want to do something," he said, highlighting loss of purpose many might feel without their jobs.