Bill Gates Says 3-Day Work Week Possible With AI

Billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates believes that technology will not replace humans, but it could make a 3-day work week possible. The billionaire shared his views while talking to South African comedian and writer Trevor Noah on his podcast 'What Now'. 

The 68-year-old Microsoft cofounder said that AI will not be taking jobs but will "change it forever." In the 45-minute-long conversation, the billionaire talked about how AI and technology could change lives for good. 

When Mr Noah asked about the threat of artificial intelligence to jobs, Mr Gates said there could one day be a time when humans "don't have to work so hard."

Mr Gates said, "If you eventually get a society where you only have to work three days a week, that's probably OK."

He even said there could exist a world where "machines can make all the food and the stuff." 

The billionaire has highlighted both the risks and the benefits of AI in his previous interviews and blogs. In July, he addressed the risks of AI. 

"I don't think AI's impact will be as dramatic as the Industrial Revolution, but it certainly will be as big as the introduction of the PC. Word processing applications didn't do away with office work, but they changed it forever," Mr Gates said at the time. "Employers and employees had to adapt, and they did."

He also pointed out the risks of AI, including "misinformation and deepfakes, security threats, changes to the job market, and the impact on education."

"This is not the first time a new technology has caused a big shift in the labour market. I don't think AI's impact will be as dramatic as the Industrial Revolution, but it certainly will be as big as the introduction of the PC," he wrote.

"Another thing that's clear to me is that the future of AI is not as grim as some people think or as rosy as others think. The risks are real, but I am optimistic that they can be managed," he added.