Previous technological disruptions have destroyed “jobs”. But they have not destroyed “work”, because they have created at least as many employment opportunities as redundancies — in many cases, far more. Perhaps artificial intelligence will end up the same way. Or maybe not.
The remarkable leaps it is making may mean that even jobs we don’t think of as at risk from AI may in fact also be in danger. If AI can accelerate the rate of advance in robotic research, occupations that we currently think of as “AI proof” may also soon be taken by machines.
One response — articulated last week by Bill Gates — is that we should have jobs that are “human reserved” and cannot be filled by robots. Another is that we should all transition to a life of leisure, with our incomes provided through cash transfers and a universal basic income, or UBI.