Bill Gates has called for certain jobs to be reserved for humans as artificial intelligence threatens to replace workers across the economy.
The Microsoft co-founder said governments should create “human reserved” roles in sectors where human involvement remains particularly valuable.
Writing in a 6,000-word essay titled ‘The turbulent AI era is here. The choices we make are critical’, Gates compared the idea to nature reserves, where land is deliberately protected from development. “Many jobs will disappear forever,” he wrote. “I believe that as AI and robots improve, we’ll set aside certain things for only people to do.”
Gates pointed to healthcare as one area where human workers should remain central. He recalled the professionals who cared for his father, who died from Alzheimer’s disease six years ago.
The tech pioneer said: “Something in the care they gave my dad was irreplaceably human, no robot could or should have done it.”
He argued that while a robot could technically deliver devastating medical news, it should not necessarily be allowed to do so.
Gates also warned that governments are unprepared for the scale of change AI could bring. “The highest priority is a monumental task: creating a domestic and international framework for dealing with AI,” he wrote.
He said the technology would affect areas including employment, education, taxation, energy, elections, public health, finance, transport and national security. The businessman added: “It is fair to wonder whether the world’s institutions are up to the task of designing and implementing this new architecture”
Gates called for international cooperation, including between the U.S. and China, to manage the risks posed by increasingly capable AI systems. His staff are working to arrange a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in November to discuss global efforts to mitigate those risks.
The billionaire also raised concerns about AI’s effect on education. While the technology could allow people to learn more than ever, he warned it could also weaken critical thinking.
He wrote: “One preliminary survey suggested that heavier AI use was associated with less critical thinking. “The effect was stronger for young people.”
Gates’ comments come as AI companies race to develop systems capable of performing increasingly complex tasks. Some technology leaders have predicted major disruption to employment, while others argue AI will create new forms of work. For Gates, however, some human roles may be too important to leave entirely to machines.
