Google Exec Says AI Will Lead To More Jobs, Not Fewer

At this point, it’s no secret that people are starting to be more afraid of automation and artificial intelligence due to the prospect of job loss. However, Alphabet chief executive, Eric Schmidt said that these fears are unfounded. Instead of leading to fewer jobs, AIs and better computers will actually lead to better employment opportunities.

Schmidt made this pronouncement during the Viva Technology conference, which was held in Paris, France, Futurism reports. It was basically an event where industry luminaries and government leaders could attend and give their two-cents regarding the current trajectory of technology and its importance.

When it was his turn to make a speech, the Google executive said that the world was entering what he calls an “age of abundance”. It all hinges on the development of more intelligent computers.

“You’ll take people plus computers and the computers will make the people smarter. If you make people smarter, their wages go up, not down. And the number of jobs will go up, not down. What will happen to human interaction? I think there’ll be more,” The Guardian quotes Schmidt during the event.

“It used to take months for discovery and new developments to be understood. Now they can occur simultaneously all around the world.”

The Alphabet chief executive also notes how science has become even more important now along with critical thinking, especially given the current political climate in the US. More than anything else, however, Schmidt wanted people to understand that the march of progress has become irreversible.

“The largest taxi company has no taxis, that’s Uber,” Schmidt said. “The largest accommodation company has no real estate, that’s Airbnb. The largest phone company has no infrastructure, that’s Skype. The most valuable retailer has no inventory, that’s Alibaba. The largest movie theatre has no movie theatres, that’s Netflix.”

What Schmidt is trying to point out is that the populace has always been wary of new technology, with the loss of jobs being one of the biggest concerns. As with the industrial revolution and the Internet revolution, however, old jobs will inevitably be replaced with new ones.