Bill Gates’ advice to IT professionals on AI: Prepare for job changes

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates recently sat down with Zerodha founder Nikhil Kamath for the debut episode of Kamath’s podcast series “People by WTF.” During their conversation, Gates discussed a wide range of topics, from his early days at Microsoft to the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on various industries, with a particular focus on software engineering.

Gates expressed his optimism about the potential of AI to revolutionise sectors like education and highlighted the positive impact it can have on making jobs more productive. He dismissed concerns about AI replacing software engineers in the near future, stating that there is still a need for human expertise in the field.

While acknowledging the possibility of AI reaching a point where it could replace all jobs, Gates believes that such a scenario is unlikely to occur within the next two decades. He emphasized that predicting the long-term impact of AI is not an exact science and that there are still many unknown variables at play.

Gates also reflected on his company’s relationship with India, praising the country for its talented IT graduates and highlighting the challenges faced by the legal system. He noted the potential for increased productivity in the legal sector to address issues such as backlogs and improve access to justice. Gates also commended Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, who hails from India, for his leadership and contributions to the company.