Kai-Fu Lee Predicts AI To Replace Half Global Jobs by 2027, Stands Firm Despite Criticism
Summary:
Computer scientist and venture capitalist Kai-Fu Lee reiterates his 2017 prediction that AI technology will replace around 50% of global human jobs by 2027. His reasoning includes the repetitive nature of most jobs, citing examples like truck driving, telemarketing, and assembly line work. Despite criticism, he stands by his prediction, believing that AI will become a foundational technology surpassing the importance of electricity and the internet combined. With extensive experience at tech giants like Apple, Microsoft, and Google, Lee currently heads Sinovation Ventures and 01.AI, firmly believing in China's future dominance in AI technology.
Celebrated computer scientist and business investor Kai-Fu Lee has once again underscored his belief that by 2027, artificial intelligence (AI) will replace nearly 50% of jobs globally. In 2017, Kai-Fu Lee initially forecasted that AI would substitute half of all human positions, an opinion he has maintained over the years. During an interview in 2018 with IEEE Spectrum, he remarked that despite human beings possessing unique talents and skills unlikely to be mastered by AI, the technology would nonetheless displace roughly half of the workforce.
"Most occupations are essentially routine," Kai-Fu Lee stated, citing roles such as truck driving, telemarketing, dishwashing, fruit harvesting, assembly line work and others. He further remarked that he believed AI was destined to evolve into a foundational technology, surpassing the combined significance of the internet and electricity.
Recently, when interviewed by Fortune, he confirmed his earlier projections when asked if he believed his 2024 prediction still held merit. During the interview, Kai Fu Lee assured that his prediction was still accurate.
"It's eerily precise. In 2017, 2018, and 2019, many accused me of being overly ambitious, which made me slightly apprehensive. However, with the advent of gen AI, it seems everyone is now agreeing with the timeline I had anticipated," he said.
Few individuals in the tech world possess a resume as extensive as Kai Fu Lee’s. The tech veteran held an executive position at Apple before setting up Microsoft Research Asia. Post his tenure with the Redmond firm, he took on the roles of vice president at Google and chief of Google China.
As of May 2024, he is the originator and chairperson of Sinovation Ventures, a venture capital fund committed to propelling global tech products and services. He also founded 01.AI, an AI-centric startup developing products and services for the Chinese market. Kai-Fu Lee's forecasts regarding AI's future are positioned within his conviction that China will eventually overtake the world in AI innovation. Related: Strategies to regulate AIs and motivate humans through cryptocurrency.
Published At
5/26/2024 8:48:25 PM
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