AI will occupy 50% of jobs by 2027
Computer scientist and venture capitalist Lee Kai-Fu recently reiterated his position that artificial intelligence (AI) technology will replace at least half of the global workforce by 2027.
Kai-Fu Lee initially predicted in 2017 that AI would take up at least half of all human jobs. He has maintained this position ever since. For example, in a 2018 interview with IEEE Spectrum, he pointed out that AI will still replace about half of us in the workplace, despite the fact that humans have many talents and skills that AI is unlikely to achieve.
“Most jobs are repetitive,” Kaifu Lee said at the time, pointing out “truck driving, telemarketing, dishwashing, fruit picking, assembly line work, etc.”
He said it is his belief that AI will ultimately become a pivotal technology more important than electricity and the internet combined.
In a recent interview with Fortune, he doubled down on his comments when asked if he thought the forecast would still be relevant in 2024.
According to the interview, Kai Fu Lee stated that his predictions were accurate:
“It’s actually incredibly accurate. In 2017, 2018, and 2019, people criticized me for being too aggressive, and I was a little nervous at the time. But when the AI generation came out, I think everyone was jumping on the bandwagon and believing that was the right pace.”
Few people in tech have a resume as packed as Kai Fu Lee. He worked as an executive at Apple before becoming founder and director of Microsoft Research Asia. After touring the Redmond company, he signed on to become Google’s vice president and head of Google China.
As of May 2024, he is the founder and chairman of Sinovation Ventures, a VC fund focused on developing global technology products and services. He is also the founder of 01.AI, an AI startup focused on developing products and services for the Chinese market.
Lee Kai-Fu’s predictions surrounding the future of AI are framed in the context of his belief that China will ultimately surpass the rest of the world in artificial intelligence technology.
Related: How to Control AI and Incentivize Humans with Cryptocurrency
