Will AI take away jobs of software engineers? Bill Gates says ‘not in next 20 years’

Bill Gates believes that artificial intelligence (AI) can both be good and bad but it may not end the need for software engineers. In a chat with Zerodha's Nikhil Kamath, the Microsoft co-founder said that AI is very useful in areas like education and health for which it can prove to be a boon as the technology is already improving efficiency of these sectors.

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He said, “The amazing thing about this technology is that we know it can help in key areas and we know it can create educational tutors and we have seen several projects in India and US which are showing great results. The potential is incredible if we knew that all it did was make jobs more productive.”

Talking about whether AI will take away jobs of software engineers, Bill Gates said that such concerns are alarmist as the need for software engineers and their skills will never reduce because of AI. He said, “We still need those software engineers as we are not going to stop needing them.”

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But will there be a point where AI could potentially replace all jobs? Bill Gates said that it it “reaches a point of complete replacement, it will be a world of excess which may be wonderful for old people or handicapped people but this may be a point where the very organising principles of society and what we value” may begin to alter and be dismantled.

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With that warning, Bill Gates assuaged fears as he said that this will not happen at least in the next 20 years.

He jokingly added, “Although I am not sure of that.”