Bill Gates' latest prediction: In the AI era, humans will only work 2 days a week, and these three professions will become "iron rice bowls."

Compiled: Heart of the Metaverse

Since OpenAI launched ChatGPT in 2022, the AI industry has been developing at an astonishing pace. The Ghibli-style images generated by Chat Studio have sparked heated discussions online, and even Hollywood is concerned that the creative industry will be disrupted by AI.

Amid this wave of occupational anxiety, this billionaire provided a reassuring answer during his interview with Jimmy Fallon.

Gates Talks About AI Job Replacement

In an interview, Gates stated: "In the coming years, AI will surely take over most jobs."

But he also emphasized that there is still a shortage of professional talent, and humans still need to rely on experts in various fields, such as "top doctors" or "excellent teachers." However, he also predicted: with the development of AI, high-quality medical consulting and tutoring will become easily accessible in ten years.

This billionaire specifically pointed out: "Some professions can never be replaced - for example, no one would want to watch machines play baseball. Humans will always retain exclusive domains, but in manufacturing, logistics, and agricultural production, these will become fundamental issues conquered by AI."

Three Major "AI Immunity" Professions

Gates also listed three professions: coders, biologists, and energy professionals, which are currently hard to replace.

Programmer: Gates pointed out that the work of developing AI systems and writing code will be stable and secure. Although AI can now automatically generate code, the core competitive advantages of software development, including adaptability, problem-solving skills, and precision, remain in the hands of humans. Especially in debugging code, optimizing systems, and driving AI technology iterations, human developers will continue to play an irreplaceable role.

Biologists: While AI excels in data processing and assisting in diagnoses, research work that requires breakthrough thinking, such as formulating research hypotheses and designing experimental pathways, remains the exclusive domain of biologists. Gates pointed out that artificial intelligence cannot propose hypotheses, and in cutting-edge fields such as gene editing and new drug development, human scientists will continue to be the core engine driving medical progress.

Energy experts: When discussing the energy industry, Gates pointed out that although AI can improve efficiency, in the complex chess game of carbon neutrality transformation, strategic decisions involving technological route selection, geopolitical balance, and other factors still require human experts to navigate. Especially in crisis management and long-term strategic planning, human systems thinking has a decisive advantage.

Will humans hardly need to work in the future?

In addition, Bill Gates also stated that our working methods may undergo a tremendous change in the next decade. With the rapid development of artificial intelligence, humans may only need to work two to three days a week in the future.

"What will work look like in the future? Will we only need to work two or three days a week?" Gates asked during the interview. He pointed out: "At the current pace of AI innovation, humans will no longer need to be involved in most jobs."

This is not the first time Gates has put forward this viewpoint. As early as 2023, when OpenAI's ChatGPT was just emerging, he predicted that a new norm of working three days a week would eventually take shape.

Later, in Trevor Noah's podcast What Now, Gates emphasized that "from a macro perspective, the meaning of life is not just in work," and called on people to rethink how to use their time after being liberated from full-time work.

Debate on Shortening Working Hours

Despite Gates' vision of a future with reduced working hours, some Indian business leaders hold a completely opposite stance. Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy has suggested that Indians should work 70 hours a week to maintain international competitiveness, although he added that this is more of a personal choice rather than a mandatory requirement.

The chairman of Larsen & Toubro, SN Subrahmanyan, thinks further ahead. In an old video, he even expressed regret for not having employees work overtime on Sundays, having previously advocated for a 90-hour work week—however, these remarks sparked strong opposition.

The voice that resonates with Gates

Business leaders with similar views are not limited to just Gates.

JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon recently stated that AI could allow humans to work three and a half days a week. Japan is also making related attempts, with the Tokyo Metropolitan Government recently launching a four-day workweek pilot program, although its main goal is to address the declining birthrate issue.

As burnout sweeps across the global workforce, Gates' vision for an AI-driven workweek may come sooner than expected.

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