Geoffrey Hinton, a leading figure in AI, expresses concern about widespread job displacement due to advancements in artificial intelligence. He believes AI will eventually surpass human capabilities in most areas, but some jobs are currently safer than others.
Hinton suggests that jobs requiring physical manipulation, such as plumbing, are less susceptible to immediate automation. This aligns with the trend of Gen Z gravitating towards blue-collar work.
Conversely, Hinton highlights mundane intellectual labor as being highly vulnerable. He specifically mentions paralegals and call center workers as being at significant risk of replacement. He emphasizes that only highly skilled individuals will have AI-proof jobs.
Hinton believes mass job displacement is a significant and imminent threat, potentially leading to widespread unhappiness even with a universal basic income. He notes that AI is already replacing roles previously held by recent college graduates.
While acknowledging that some roles will involve humans working alongside AI assistants, Hinton argues this will still lead to significant job losses, as one person may perform the work of many. He sees healthcare as an exception due to consistently high demand.