The 'Godfather of AI' predicted this major job would be wiped out by now but he was wrong

One of the biggest detractors of artificial intelligence is actually a figure that was foundational to its creation, yet the 'Godfather of AI' made one bold prediction that turned out to be incorrect a decade later.

There has rightfully been plenty of fear circulating around job security in response to the rapid development of AI, as not only does the tech alone threaten countless roles, many of its most influential figures have consistently preached about a world were only a handful of jobs survive.

This might not necessarily be quite as bad as it seems according to some, but other leaders have preached the importance of preparing for a world burdened by mass unemployment, and a worrying number of people have already faced redundancy.

Who is the Godfather of AI?

Geoffrey Hinton, referred to by many as one of the 'Godfathers of AI', has spoken at length and for years about the dangers of the tech he helped create — warning about its threat to humanity and the frightening wealth gap it will forge between the richest and poorest.

Geoffrey Hinton was wrong with his prediction for the job that would fall first to AI (Mert Alper Dervis/Anadolu via Getty Images)

He has been right about a lot of things, and many are keen to listen to his worries about the future, yet one of his boldest predictions made back in 2016 has now been proven to be wrong in the best possible way.

What job did he predict would be wiped out?

As reported by the Express, Hinton expressed that radiologists would be first on the chopping block of AI-motivated job losses, calling the vital healthcare role a 'canary in the coal mines' for what's to come.

He even urged medical schools to 'stop training radiologists right now', suggesting it to be a pointless endeavor as he believed the roles would be replaced in just five years — around 2021 at the time of his prediction.

Human radiologists are thankfully still around, yet there time could be limited if health leaders have anything to say about it (H. Armstrong Roberts/ClassicStock /Getty Images)

While there's no denying the fact that AI has integrated the medical world – to the point where some doctors have seen it replace decades worth of experience – radiologists still exist five years after Hinton's intial deadline.

Are radiologists under threat from AI?

Unfortunately, it does only seem like a matter of time before Hinton's alarming prophecy comes true. A recent statement from Mitchell H. Katz, the CEO of NYC Health, saw him express the desire to replace radiologists with AI once the regulation allows it, as per Radiology Business.

"We could replace a great deal of radiologists with AI at this moment, if we are ready to do the regulatory challenge," Katz outlined with his fellow panelist David Lubarsky, CEO of the Westchester Center Health Network, proclaiming that AI is 'actually better than humans' at this particular role.

Radiologists have rightfully expressed their own opposition to these claims, with Mihammed Suhail indicating that "any attempt to implement AI-only reads would immediately result in patient harm and death, and only someone with zero understanding of radiology would say something so naive."