AI Developments Pose Grave Concern for Former Google Leader: 'Only those within...'
In an interview on the Diary of a CEO podcast, former Google X chief business officer Mo Gawdat has made a series of bold predictions about the future impact of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) on society.
Gawdat believes that the next 15 years will be challenging before society enters a better state. He warns that AGI will lead to social unrest as people lose their livelihoods and sense of purpose. This social unrest is expected to lead to an increase in rates of mental health problems, including more loneliness and deepening social divisions.
Gawdat argues against the popular belief that AI will create more jobs than it destroys, calling that notion "100% crap." He foresees a short window of augmented intelligence soon giving way to full machine mastery, threatening even creative and emotional roles like podcasters and video editors.
According to Gawdat, white-collar jobs, including those of software developers, podcasters, and top-level executives like CEOs, are at risk of being eliminated by AGI. In fact, he predicts that AGI will surpass humans in all tasks, including white-collar jobs, and could wipe out most human jobs within 15 years, with the middle class being hit the hardest. He states that unless one is in the top 0.1 percent, they are essentially a peasant.
Gawdat's predictions are based on his experience with Emma.love, an AI-powered startup run by just three people, a reduction from what would have been 350 developers in the past. This illustrates how AGI drastically reduces the need for human labor across sectors.
Gawdat envisions a dystopian near future by 2027 with mass unemployment and economic instability if no effective policies are implemented. Nonetheless, he suggests a longer-term potential utopia where people are freed from work by AI, focusing on creativity and joy, possibly supported by universal basic income.
In summary, Mo Gawdat predicts AGI will:
- Replace the vast majority of white-collar jobs including leadership roles,
- Destroy the middle class, concentrating wealth and opportunity in the top 0.1%,
- Lead to a short-term dystopia of job loss and economic disruption,
- Possibly enable a future society reorganized around human creativity and well-being if managed properly.
These predictions serve as a stark reminder of the potential consequences of rapid technological advancement and the need for careful consideration and planning to mitigate their negative impacts.
[1] Diary of a CEO podcast interview with Mo Gawdat [2] The Guardian article on Mo Gawdat's predictions [3] Wired article on Mo Gawdat's predictions [4] Forbes article on Mo Gawdat's predictions
- Mo Gawdat, in an interview on the Diary of a CEO podcast, expressed concern that the rising power of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) could disrupt the financial industry in India, potentially leading to an increase in unemployment and economic instability.
- In his predictions, Gawdat suggests that technological advancements, particularly in the field of AGI, could drastically change the landscape of Bollywood, disrupting the traditional roles of video editors and podcast hosts, among others.
- Given his predictions, Gawdat advocates for the importance of education and self-development in the tech field, as it could provide a pathway for individuals to navigating the changing job market that AGI may bring.
- As Gawat's predictions also imply, the advancement of artificial intelligence in the business sector may result in significant changes in career development, with white-collar jobs like those of software developers, CEOs, and even top-level executives being at risk of automation and potential elimination in the near future.
