Bill Gates calls for ‘human reserved’ jobs in face of AI takeover

Gates Warns of Unpreparedness and Calls for Limits

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates warned on Wednesday that the world is dangerously unprepared for the upheaval brought by artificial intelligence, with the technology destroying jobs and threatening human connection, especially for young people. In a nearly 6,000-word essay published on his blog, Gates said the shift into the AI era will rank among the most turbulent periods in human history and that no one has produced a credible plan for managing it.

Gates argued that AI needs significant limits or else the harm to humans will outweigh any potential good. "AI will either be the greatest equalizer ever invented, or the worst source of injustice," he wrote, as reported by multiple outlets. He compared the transition to past technological shifts but insisted this time is different. "Even under the best circumstances, the transition to this new AI era will be one of the most turbulent times in human history," he said, adding that "I don't see evidence that leaders, experts, and communities are confronting the challenges adequately. There is no plan to ease the entry into the AI era."

Gates acknowledged that AI could provide great benefits in fields like agriculture and medicine, including breakthroughs in preventing and treating diseases. However, he listed risks including widespread unemployment, harm to children's development, and the possibility that criminals or AI itself could cause deliberate harm. "As the models become more powerful, they could begin to act against our interests and we could lose control," he warned.

'Human Reserved' Jobs and Tax Proposals

Central to Gates's essay is a proposal to set aside certain jobs for humans, even if AI could perform them better and more cheaply. He called this domain "human reserved," drawing an analogy to nature reserves. "Many jobs will disappear forever," he said. "I believe that as AI and robots improve, we'll set aside certain things for only people to do. I've started calling this domain human reserved. I like the phrase human reserved because it makes me think of nature reserves - places where we could put buildings and roads, but we choose not to because the loss would be too great."

Gates cited the health professionals who cared for his father, who died of Alzheimer's disease six years ago, as an example of irreplaceable human care. "Something in the care they gave my dad was irreplaceably human, no robot could or should have done it," he said. "Imagine a robot giving you the awful news that you have an incurable disease. There's no technical reason why it couldn't. Yet it shouldn't."

Gates also proposed taxing AI and robots, likening it to a payroll tax, as a way to slow the shift away from human labor. He predicted that AI could substitute for thinking itself, hitting law, medicine, customer service, software, and manufacturing within roughly a decade. Entry- and mid-level positions are the most exposed, he said, leaving young people entering a labor market with far fewer openings. Blue-collar work will follow as robots become cheaper, with construction and hospitality sectors feeling pressure by the end of the decade.

Call for Global Frameworks and Cooperation

Gates wrote that governments are not prepared for the scale of AI's impact. "The highest priority is a monumental task: creating a domestic and international framework for dealing with AI," he said. He suggested that existing institutions are inadequate and that new domestic and international bodies may be needed. Gates said US-China cooperation would be required for a global framework, and The Guardian reported that his staff are arranging a meeting with Xi Jinping in November. Gates last met Xi three years ago, as the first foreign entrepreneur hosted since the pandemic.

Gates expressed concern about AI's impact on education, citing a survey linking heavier AI use with less critical thinking, especially in young people. He also noted that cybersecurity specialists are alarmed that attackers are gaining ground.

Pushback and Context

Gates's stance is likely to draw significant pushback from many in Silicon Valley and the Trump administration, who blame "doomer" attitudes among some tech leaders for giving the AI revolution a bad reputation, as reported by Dawn. Gates said he would support a credible plan to slow AI advances globally. "If someone had a credible plan for slowing down AI advances globally, I would likely support it," he wrote. "However, I don't think that's going to happen. The geopolitical and economic incentives are pushing too hard to go full speed ahead."

In a CNN interview with Anderson Cooper, Gates said AI models are more powerful than expected and that criteria for reviewing models and minimizing harms are "really completely missing." He called on leaders to act before unemployment rises, communities hurt, and public trust erodes.

The essay is one of Gates's first major public interventions since he became embroiled in the Jeffrey Epstein scandal. An external review commissioned by the Gates Foundation found last month that there had been about 30 meetings between Epstein and foundation leaders and staff – including Gates – between 2011 and 2014. Gates, who has not been accused of involvement in Epstein's crimes, remains chair of his $89bn charitable foundation and previously said he regretted "every minute" he spent with the sex offender. Gates also acknowledged deep financial ties to tech, with profits going to his foundation's $200 billion spending plan.

Gates said he would raise AI issues with lawmakers and world leaders, and that his foundation is leveraging AI. The essay marks a stark departure from his optimistic 2023 piece, but Gates insists it is not too late "to ensure that the good outweighs the bad."