Yoshua Bengio, considered one of the “Godfathers of AI”, warns that the threat of AI-related job losses is no longer a distant future but a present reality, with even retail jobs at risk as the technology becomes more complex.
Luck reports that Yoshua Bengio, a renowned professor of computer science at the University of Montreal and one of the pioneers of artificial intelligence, issued a stark warning of impending job losses due to the rapid development of artificial intelligence technologies. Bengio, who spent four decades creating the very technology that now threatens to replace humans, believes job losses in AI are already underway, especially for those working in “cognitive jobs” that involve using a keyboard.
Speaking of Stephen Bartlett CEO's Diary In the podcast, Bengio emphasized that it is only a matter of time before AI becomes capable of performing more and more tasks that are currently performed by humans. He noted that unless there are scientific barriers to AI becoming smarter, companies are racing to integrate the technology into their work processes, leading to massive job losses.
While the impact is currently most evident among Gen Z newcomers, as junior roles are easiest to eliminate, consolidate or replace with software, Bengio warns that it will impact everyone's jobs over the next five years. Even highly educated students find themselves 'unemployed' as employers take a cautious approach amid the artificial intelligence revolution. Major tech companies such as Intel, IBM and Google have already frozen thousands of potential new jobs that AI is expected to take over in the near future.
Bengio's warning extends beyond office work, as he predicts that even retail and manual labor will eventually succumb to automation. As companies deploy more robots and collect more data, AI systems will become increasingly capable of performing a wider range of tasks. Young people trying to outsmart automation by pursuing trades may find only temporary relief as artificial intelligence and robotics also replace these jobs.
Reflecting on his life's work, Bengio expressed regret for not recognizing the risks associated with AI sooner. He acknowledged that his turning point came with the release of ChatGPT and the realization that his grandson's future could be uncertain due to the rapid development of artificial intelligence systems that resist shutdown.
In response to these concerns, Bengio founded LawZero, a non-profit organization dedicated to building safe and human-centered artificial intelligence systems. But he warns that at the current pace of change, not only jobs but even democracy itself could collapse within the next two decades.
Bengio's message to CEOs is to step away from the work and collaborate to solve the problem. He emphasizes that the competitive nature of the industry forces companies to take enormous risks that can have detrimental consequences for society as a whole.
This reflects the recent career of artificial intelligence godfather Geoffrey Hinton, a fellow Bengio who left Google in 2023 after realizing what his career was about:
In a recent in-depth interview, Dr. Hinton expressed regret about his life's work, which formed the basis of artificial intelligence systems used by large technology companies. He stated: “I console myself with the usual excuse: if I had not done it, someone else would have done it.” Industry leaders believe generative AI could lead to important advances in a variety of industries, including drug research and education, but there are growing concerns about the risks the technology may pose.
“It's hard to see how you can stop bad actors from using it for bad purposes,” Dr Hinton said. He stressed that generative artificial intelligence could contribute to the spread of misinformation, displace jobs and even threaten humanity in the long term.
Read more at Luck is here.
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering free speech and online censorship.
