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Bill Gates certainly has confidence in the positive impact that future AI developments can bring, as he's highlighted three major problems in particular that advancements in the tech will be able to solve.
Conversations surrounding artificial intelligence appear to be extremely polarizing, as on one hand you have those embedded within the industry that see it as the biggest tech revolution in decades, whereas on the other there are countless warnings that prophesize the dangers that AI could potentially bring.
ChatGPT creator Sam Altman once compared the inception of his company OpenAI to a 'Manhattan Project for AI' which some would call a perfect comparison for reasons that Altman himself might not have considered, and recently one Jeff Bezos-backed CEO warned that the rapid development of AI must be safely controlled by humans.
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Despite having some choice words to say about other key members of the AI industry, Bill Gates has actually argued for the benefits of artificial intelligence, highlighting the 'fantastic opportunity' that advancements in the tech could bring, as reported by CNBC Make It.
In particular, Gates has highlighted three major problems across the world that AI could in theory solve within the next decade if things go to plan. He illustrated that AI could provide "breakthrough treatments for deadly diseases, innovative solutions for climate change, and high-quality education for everyone."
We have already seen hints that AI could be used to create 'personalized' vaccines for cancer patients, and it's ability to potentially provide education are easy to understand - although some might question its viability in finding a climate change solution considering its heavy environmental impact.
"There will be some things we reserve for yourselves," Gates continues to explain, "but in terms of making things and moving things and growing food, over time those will be basically solved problems."
He has also outlined the handful of jobs that will be safe from AI-based redundancies no matter what happens, so it might be worth considering those to future proof yourself.
At the core of these advancements though is what's known as artificial general intelligence, or 'AGI' for short. It essentially denotes a point in which AI becomes advanced and intelligent enough to match or exceed the intellect and skillset of humans.
The head of Google's AI labs has estimated that AGI could be achieved in the next five to ten years, but other major names in the artificial intelligence world have warned that this could dramatically increase the end of humanity. Despite his optimism, Gates has also expressed that caution is an essential part of continued AI development, expoundig in a blog post:
"I'm lucky to have been involved with the PC revolution and the Internet revolution. I'm just as excited about this moment. This new technology can help people everywhere improve their lives.
"At the same time, the world needs to establish the rules of the road so that any downsides of artificial intelligence are far outweighed by its benefits, and so that everyone can enjoy those benefits no matter where they live or how much money they have. The Age of AI is filled with opportunities and responsibilities."
With arguments that AI will only widen the wealth gap and even create a 'fertile ground for fascism' though, some aren't quite as hopeful for the future as Gates.
