Bill Gates: People Don’t Realize What’s Coming

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Somnath Singh · Follow

Published in JavaScript in Plain English · 13 min read · Apr 13

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Tech Jobs Won’t Exist in 5 Years

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In the 16th century, there was a man by the name of Nostradamus .

He was a man with the gift of foresight. Some say he predicted the rise of Napoleon , the French Revolution , and even the world wars.

People still search for hidden meanings in Nostradamus’ verses, hoping to gain insight into what the future holds.

In many ways, Nostradamus reminds us of the importance of looking ahead and preparing for what may come.

Jumping ahead a couple of centuries and we’ve got Bill Gates, a man who has his own share of some spot-on predictions.

Back in ’75, Gates predicted computers would be ubiquitous, as common as our left hand. And here we are.

In ’95, He predicted the internet would be the next big thing, and boy was he right. Now we live in a world where the internet has revolutionized the way we exist.

Gates also knew that we’d be using our smartphones and tablets for everything from making phone calls to accessing the internet.

And now? You’re reading this on one.

Also, the power of online advertising? Gates saw that coming too.

He knew that targeted ads would be the future, and now online advertising is a multi-billion-dollar industry.

In one interview, he said, “ I would not be traveling for the year”.

and… well, you know the rest, the pandemic and all that.

Let’s just say, his crystal ball is usually on point.e

Gates is now talking about artificial intelligence, and how it’s the most important innovation of our time.

Are you ready for what’s coming?

Bill Gates doesn’t think so.

In fact, he’s sounding the alarm on a future that many of us don’t realize is just around the corner. He thinks AI is going to shake things up in a big way:

“ Soon Job demand for lots of skill sets will be substantially lower. I don’t think people have that in their mental model .”

“In the past, labors went off and did other jobs, but now there will be a lot of angst about the fact that AI is targeting white-collar work.”

“The job disruption from AI will be massive, and we need to prepare for it”

Think you’re safe from the job-killing effects of AI?

Think again.

BIG CHANGES are coming to the job market that people and governments aren’t prepared for.

I’m not here to scare you, I am here to jolt you out of your comfort zone.

The job market is in for some serious shaking and baking, and unfortunately, it seems like nobody’s got the right recipe to handle it.

Open Your Eyes and You Will See

“If you are depressed you are living in the past. If you are anxious, you are living in the future. If you are at peace you are living in the present.” ― Lao Tzu

Imagine waking up one day and realizing that the job you’ve held for years is no longer needed by the company.

Not because you screwed up, but simply because your company found a better alternative (AI) and it is no more a job that only you can do.

You have been working at the same company for over a decade, and suddenly, you are told that your services are no longer needed.

Won’t you feel lost, confused, and worried about how you will support yourself and your family?

It’s a scary thought, but the truth is, it’s already happening in many industries.

We’ve already seen the merciless termination of thousands of employees at tech giants like Google, Microsoft, Amazon, and Meta , and that’s before AI even began flexing its muscles.

It’s only a matter of time before the job market starts feeling the full impact of this unstoppable force.

Sure, some of them may adapt, but where will you fit the rest of the workforce when the need for labor itself will decrease?

AI is inevitably going to reduce the demand for jobs, particularly those on the lower end of the skills spectrum.

Of course, companies will get the benefit of cost-cutting and spurring innovation.

But that’s likely to come at a cost — joblessness and economic inequality.

Our ever-changing world demands a moment of pause, a chance to contemplate what the future holds.

For it is in this stillness that we may gain a deep understanding of the challenges that lay ahead, and thus, prepare ourselves with the necessary tools to navigate them successfully.

The industrial revolution was fueled by the invention of machines. It enabled companies to increase productivity and reduce costs.

The whole education system was designed to serve the needs of the industrial revolution.

It trained people to become cogs in a machine. Perform repetitive tasks without questioning the status quo.

The focus was on efficiency and standardization, rather than creativity and individuality .

Companies relied on humans as a form of labor only because it was cheap (and reliable).

In the past, a single machine replaced the work of a hundred men, and all it needed was one operator.

The game we’ve been playing for years, well, it’s not the same anymore.

The future is here, and it’s not pretty.

In the coming age, one person will command an army of software agents.

They will build things at a breakneck speed, replacing tens or even hundreds of operators in the blink of an eye.

It’s a brave new world where the traditional constraints of human labor are no longer a limiting factor.

The repercussions of that will soon be felt in all sectors, and tech won’t be an exception.

The software industry, born from the industrial revolution, has undergone two productivity revolutions:

The creation of higher-level programming languages and the ascent of open source.

Initially, most corporate software was written in machine or assembly code.

Somebody had to invent higher-level languages (that were good for a few years)

Unfortunately — We’re still using them, ones basically from the 60s, reinventing it over and over again.

We are in the midst of the next revolution where AI will overtake coding.

Copilot was just the early innings.

The coming generation of AI won’t be mere text complete and will transform the way how we make software.

Programmers’ dream from the 60s is now a reality as we shift from writing code to leveraging AI prompts for our work.

Programmers will operate at a higher level than mere code.

Most parts of software development will be abstracted away.

coding won’t exist in 5 years

The world of Software development is never going to be the same.

It is just a matter of time before the prompting part will also changes.

Prompt generation and response parsing will be a new phase of programming —  Human language as a protocol.

It won’t be limited to replacing code.

Autodesigner

Those pesky copyright strikes are a thing of the past — thanks to AI, you can now compose your own music on the go!

AI is also now paving the way for the future of gaming.

Want to build a game? You better be off by just typing it.

Feeling the urge to unleash your inner artist?

runwa

From photo-realistic images to high-resolution videos to detailed 3D geometry, Picasso can handle it all with ease

Want to Build your next animation movie but short on budget?

You better be off just by your phone camera recordings.

@KaiberAI

Maybe make some magic happen?

Btw, who says you need a Pixar-sized budget to make your dreams come true?

unaway

Perhaps it’s time to bring out your inner storyteller. Do you have a tale to share?

Soon AI will breach every other area.

Generative AI is transforming the drug discovery process.

Omniverse, an industrial visualization platform, connects the digital and physical worlds.

This is just the start.

One will command armies of software agents to build increasingly complex software in insane record times.

And the best part?

Non-technical folks will also be able to use these agents to get software tasks done.

The End is Coming

“What we call the beginning is often the end. And to make an end is to make a beginning. The end is where we start from.” ― T.S. Eliot

Imagine a world where the boundaries between technical and non-technical work no longer exist.

Where everyone is equipped with the skills and tools necessary to navigate an ever-evolving technological landscape.

It may sound like something out of a science fiction novel, but It’s a brave new world we’re heading toward, my friend.

You see, companies bring on employees because they simply can’t handle all the work themselves.

Brooks famously coined the term “man-months” to measure the amount of work one person can accomplish in a month.

He argues that adding more people to a software development project doesn’t necessarily mean faster completion.

In fact, more people result in communication overhead and coordination issues that slow down the project.

Companies are aware of this issue but often have limited options.

Good programmers are hard to come by, and if you do find one, chances are they won’t be easily swayed to work for just anyone.

This leads many companies to hire more than they actually need, resulting in teams that are too large and inefficient.

The truth is, most of the work is done by a small percentage of people, and this won’t change much in the future. However, what will change is the realization that only the top performers really matter.

In a team of 15, it’s likely that only a handful of people truly understand the intricacies of the project and can offer the most effective solutions.

The rest are just following instructions, and they are the ones who will be most at risk when the landscape shifts.

However, let’s be real, what even is a company?

It’s just the dream of some ambitious man looking to dominate the world.

Everyone else joins that gang.

Companies are always looking for ways to maximize profits and minimize expenses, and reducing the number of employees is a great way to do so.

Who can blame them?

Those who rely on a company for their livelihood, always keep in mind that their purpose is self-preservation, not your prosperity.

Coming AI-powdered tools will make everyone at least John Carmack-level capable.

When you can get John Carmack-level programmers on every street, it wouldn’t be too hard for companies to achieve their goals with fewer employees.

Driving the transaction cost and overhead in software down means that it will be a lot easier to bring developers into your codebase for one-off tasks.

Uber did an impressive feat of running their entire business with not having any employees in the traditional sense.

Given the rapid pace of AI development, software companies may adopt Uber’s approach sooner than expected.

This new way of doing things is called a network model.

In the past, we would assemble code and then send it off to run, with monetization added later.

Now, the code will always be running and fully monetized.

This shift is likely to result in more companies hiring contract-based employees or using remote workers for one-off tasks.

Exciting times, my friend.

Whether you like it or not it is happening either embrace the change or get crushed under it.

Every Cloud has a Silver Lining

Bill Gates: “ The job disruption from AI will be massive, and we need to prepare for it. Certainly, we’re going to lose jobs to automation. The question is, what do we do about it? ”

These times, oh how thrilling they are!

We find ourselves returning to square one.

As we embrace the power of AI, we are reminded of our own humanity and the vastness of our ignorance.

Most people anyway hate their job.

AI can become a blessing for them.

When Companies would not require many people to get the work done, Individuals would also not need them to make an impact.

We all have something that we can offer to the world — Something that only we can do.

This is the essence of the creator economy.

You don’t need to dominate the market.

You don’t need to disrupt anything.

You don’t need to conquer the competition.

Wouldn’t that be enough?

It’s not easy, but it’s never been easier.

All you have to do is make people’s lives better in some way.

Forty-hour workweeks are a relic of the Industrial Age.

The best thing we can do to it is to retire it.

In the coming age, workers should be able to function like athletes — train, sprint then rest and reassess.

It is a great time to be a creator, but terrible to be an employee.

Oh, But I don’t know what to create?

Nobody does in the beginning.

As long as what you’re creating solves someone’s problem, you’re good to go.

The problems and ways we spend our days solving those problems may change. But there will always be problems for humans to solve.

Don’t overthink it — focus on making a difference and the rest will fall into place.

Great artists don’t study art history to figure out what to create, and great founders don’t analyze the market to figure out what to build.

As someone once said, “ If you don’t have a dream, someone else will hire you to fulfill theirs .”

You deserve to work for yourself and create something truly worthwhile.

It may not be easy, but the journey is definitely worth it.

It’s a new world out there, and those who can adapt and embrace it will inevitably come out on top.

The End Is the Beginning

Long before the arrival of industries, one’s ability to survive was solely dependent on their own skills and resources.

From sustenance to the shelter to clothing , every necessity was crafted with techniques passed down through the generations.

In the past, people lived close to nature and understood the seasons, weather, and natural patterns. They worked together in tight-knit communities, sharing resources and helping each other to do well.

Then came the industrial revolution.

It brought new technology.

Made things more productive, but it also changed the way people lived.

The industrial revolution may have advanced technology and productivity, but it broke the bond between Men, Women, and Wild.

As machines took over jobs, people lost touch with the holistic process of creating goods and services.

They became just cogs in the larger economic machine, and creativity was lost.

The rise of AI will make a significant portion of the population left with skills that will no longer be in demand.

Education needs to shift toward enhancing individual perceptions and creativity .

That ChatGPT passes exams is much more a reflection on exams than information about ChatGPT.

We need to think about how we can prepare individuals for the future, where AI may take over more and more tasks that humans used to do.

We need to find ways to stay relevant, to keep learning, and to adapt to change.

We need to teach skills that are complementary to what AI can do, and prepare individuals for a constantly evolving world.

One way to do this is by embracing the creator economy.

The creator economy offers individuals the opportunity to use their unique skills and passions to create value for themselves and others.

By embracing the creator economy, we can tap into our own innate creativity and use it to build a better future for ourselves and the world.

Note of Gratitude

I wanted to take this last opportunity to say thank you.

Thank you for being here! I would not be able to do what I do without people like you who follow along and take that leap of faith to read my post.

I hope you’ll join me in my future blog post and stick around because I think we have something great here. And I hope that I will be able to help you along in your career for many more years to come!

See you next time. Bye!

More content at PlainEnglish.io .

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter . Follow us on Twitter , LinkedIn , YouTube , and Discord .

Interested in scaling your software startup ? Check out Circuit .

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Member-only story. Somnath Singh · Follow. Published in JavaScript in Plain English · 13 min read · Apr 13. -- 405. Listen. Share. Tech Jobs Won’t Exist in 5 Years. Source. In the 16th century, there was a man by the name of Nostradamus . He was a man with the gift of foresight. Some say he predicted the rise of Napoleon , the French Revolution , and even the world wars. People still search for hidden meanings in Nostradamus’ verses, hoping to gain insight into what the future holds. In many ways, Nostradamus reminds us of the importance of looking ahead and preparing for what may come. Jumping ahead a couple of centuries and we’ve got Bill Gates, a man who has his own share of some spot-on predictions. Back in ’75, Gates predicted computers would be ubiquitous, as common as our left hand. And here we are. In ’95, He predicted the internet would be the next big thing, and boy was he right. Now we live in a world where the internet has revolutionized the way we exist. Gates also knew that we’d be using our smartphones and tablets for everything from making phone calls to accessing the internet. And now? You’re reading this on one. Also, the power of online advertising? Gates saw that coming too. He knew that targeted ads would be the future, and now online advertising is a multi-billion-dollar industry. In one interview, he said, “ I would not be traveling for the year”. and… well, you know the rest, the pandemic and all that. Let’s just say, his crystal ball is usually on point.e. Gates is now talking about artificial intelligence, and how it’s the most important innovation of our time. Are you ready for what’s coming? Bill Gates doesn’t think so. In fact, he’s sounding the alarm on a future that many of us don’t realize is just around the corner. He thinks AI is going to shake things up in a big way: “ Soon Job demand for lots of skill sets will be substantially lower. I don’t think people have that in their mental model .” “In the past, labors went off and did other jobs, but now there will be a lot of angst about the fact that AI is targeting white-collar work.” “The job disruption from AI will be massive, and we need to prepare for it” Think you’re safe from the job-killing effects of AI? Think again. BIG CHANGES are coming to the job market that people and governments aren’t prepared for. I’m not here to scare you, I am here to jolt you out of your comfort zone. The job market is in for some serious shaking and baking, and unfortunately, it seems like nobody’s got the right recipe to handle it. Open Your Eyes and You Will See. “If you are depressed you are living in the past. If you are anxious, you are living in the future. If you are at peace you are living in the present.” ― Lao Tzu. Imagine waking up one day and realizing that the job you’ve held for years is no longer needed by the company. Not because you screwed up, but simply because your company found a better alternative (AI) and it is no more a job that only you can do. You have been working at the same company for over a decade, and suddenly, you are told that your services are no longer needed. Won’t you feel lost, confused, and worried about how you will support yourself and your family? It’s a scary thought, but the truth is, it’s already happening in many industries. We’ve already seen the merciless termination of thousands of employees at tech giants like Google, Microsoft, Amazon, and Meta , and that’s before AI even began flexing its muscles. It’s only a matter of time before the job market starts feeling the full impact of this unstoppable force. Sure, some of them may adapt, but where will you fit the rest of the workforce when the need for labor itself will decrease? AI is inevitably going to reduce the demand for jobs, particularly those on the lower end of the skills spectrum. Of course, companies will get the benefit of cost-cutting and spurring innovation. But that’s likely to come at a cost — joblessness and economic inequality. Our ever-changing world demands a moment of pause, a chance to contemplate what the future holds. For it is in this stillness that we may gain a deep understanding of the challenges that lay ahead, and thus, prepare ourselves with the necessary tools to navigate them successfully. The industrial revolution was fueled by the invention of machines. It enabled companies to increase productivity and reduce costs. The whole education system was designed to serve the needs of the industrial revolution. It trained people to become cogs in a machine. Perform repetitive tasks without questioning the status quo. The focus was on efficiency and standardization, rather than creativity and individuality . Companies relied on humans as a form of labor only because it was cheap (and reliable). In the past, a single machine replaced the work of a hundred men, and all it needed was one operator. The game we’ve been playing for years, well, it’s not the same anymore. The future is here, and it’s not pretty. In the coming age, one person will command an army of software agents. They will build things at a breakneck speed, replacing tens or even hundreds of operators in the blink of an eye. It’s a brave new world where the traditional constraints of human labor are no longer a limiting factor. The repercussions of that will soon be felt in all sectors, and tech won’t be an exception. The software industry, born from the industrial revolution, has undergone two productivity revolutions: The creation of higher-level programming languages and the ascent of open source. Initially, most corporate software was written in machine or assembly code. Somebody had to invent higher-level languages (that were good for a few years) Unfortunately — We’re still using them, ones basically from the 60s, reinventing it over and over again. We are in the midst of the next revolution where AI will overtake coding. Copilot was just the early innings. The coming generation of AI won’t be mere text complete and will transform the way how we make software. Programmers’ dream from the 60s is now a reality as we shift from writing code to leveraging AI prompts for our work. Programmers will operate at a higher level than mere code. Most parts of software development will be abstracted away. coding won’t exist in 5 years. The world of Software development is never going to be the same. It is just a matter of time before the prompting part will also changes. Prompt generation and response parsing will be a new phase of programming —  Human language as a protocol. It won’t be limited to replacing code. Autodesigner. Those pesky copyright strikes are a thing of the past — thanks to AI, you can now compose your own music on the go! AI is also now paving the way for the future of gaming. Want to build a game? You better be off by just typing it. Feeling the urge to unleash your inner artist? runwa. From photo-realistic images to high-resolution videos to detailed 3D geometry, Picasso can handle it all with ease. Want to Build your next animation movie but short on budget? You better be off just by your phone camera recordings. @KaiberAI. Maybe make some magic happen? Btw, who says you need a Pixar-sized budget to make your dreams come true? unaway. Perhaps it’s time to bring out your inner storyteller. Do you have a tale to share? Soon AI will breach every other area. Generative AI is transforming the drug discovery process. Omniverse, an industrial visualization platform, connects the digital and physical worlds. This is just the start. One will command armies of software agents to build increasingly complex software in insane record times. And the best part? Non-technical folks will also be able to use these agents to get software tasks done. The End is Coming. “What we call the beginning is often the end. And to make an end is to make a beginning. The end is where we start from.” ― T.S. Eliot. Imagine a world where the boundaries between technical and non-technical work no longer exist. Where everyone is equipped with the skills and tools necessary to navigate an ever-evolving technological landscape. It may sound like something out of a science fiction novel, but It’s a brave new world we’re heading toward, my friend. You see, companies bring on employees because they simply can’t handle all the work themselves. Brooks famously coined the term “man-months” to measure the amount of work one person can accomplish in a month. He argues that adding more people to a software development project doesn’t necessarily mean faster completion. In fact, more people result in communication overhead and coordination issues that slow down the project. Companies are aware of this issue but often have limited options. Good programmers are hard to come by, and if you do find one, chances are they won’t be easily swayed to work for just anyone. This leads many companies to hire more than they actually need, resulting in teams that are too large and inefficient. The truth is, most of the work is done by a small percentage of people, and this won’t change much in the future. However, what will change is the realization that only the top performers really matter. In a team of 15, it’s likely that only a handful of people truly understand the intricacies of the project and can offer the most effective solutions. The rest are just following instructions, and they are the ones who will be most at risk when the landscape shifts. However, let’s be real, what even is a company? It’s just the dream of some ambitious man looking to dominate the world. Everyone else joins that gang. Companies are always looking for ways to maximize profits and minimize expenses, and reducing the number of employees is a great way to do so. Who can blame them? Those who rely on a company for their livelihood, always keep in mind that their purpose is self-preservation, not your prosperity. Coming AI-powdered tools will make everyone at least John Carmack-level capable. When you can get John Carmack-level programmers on every street, it wouldn’t be too hard for companies to achieve their goals with fewer employees. Driving the transaction cost and overhead in software down means that it will be a lot easier to bring developers into your codebase for one-off tasks. Uber did an impressive feat of running their entire business with not having any employees in the traditional sense. Given the rapid pace of AI development, software companies may adopt Uber’s approach sooner than expected. This new way of doing things is called a network model. In the past, we would assemble code and then send it off to run, with monetization added later. Now, the code will always be running and fully monetized. This shift is likely to result in more companies hiring contract-based employees or using remote workers for one-off tasks. Exciting times, my friend. Whether you like it or not it is happening either embrace the change or get crushed under it. Every Cloud has a Silver Lining. Bill Gates: “ The job disruption from AI will be massive, and we need to prepare for it. Certainly, we’re going to lose jobs to automation. The question is, what do we do about it? ” These times, oh how thrilling they are! We find ourselves returning to square one. As we embrace the power of AI, we are reminded of our own humanity and the vastness of our ignorance. Most people anyway hate their job. AI can become a blessing for them. When Companies would not require many people to get the work done, Individuals would also not need them to make an impact. We all have something that we can offer to the world — Something that only we can do. This is the essence of the creator economy. You don’t need to dominate the market. You don’t need to disrupt anything. You don’t need to conquer the competition. Wouldn’t that be enough? It’s not easy, but it’s never been easier. All you have to do is make people’s lives better in some way. Forty-hour workweeks are a relic of the Industrial Age. The best thing we can do to it is to retire it. In the coming age, workers should be able to function like athletes — train, sprint then rest and reassess. It is a great time to be a creator, but terrible to be an employee. Oh, But I don’t know what to create? Nobody does in the beginning. As long as what you’re creating solves someone’s problem, you’re good to go. The problems and ways we spend our days solving those problems may change. But there will always be problems for humans to solve. Don’t overthink it — focus on making a difference and the rest will fall into place. Great artists don’t study art history to figure out what to create, and great founders don’t analyze the market to figure out what to build. As someone once said, “ If you don’t have a dream, someone else will hire you to fulfill theirs .” You deserve to work for yourself and create something truly worthwhile. It may not be easy, but the journey is definitely worth it. It’s a new world out there, and those who can adapt and embrace it will inevitably come out on top. The End Is the Beginning. Long before the arrival of industries, one’s ability to survive was solely dependent on their own skills and resources. From sustenance to the shelter to clothing , every necessity was crafted with techniques passed down through the generations. In the past, people lived close to nature and understood the seasons, weather, and natural patterns. They worked together in tight-knit communities, sharing resources and helping each other to do well. Then came the industrial revolution. It brought new technology. Made things more productive, but it also changed the way people lived. The industrial revolution may have advanced technology and productivity, but it broke the bond between Men, Women, and Wild. As machines took over jobs, people lost touch with the holistic process of creating goods and services. They became just cogs in the larger economic machine, and creativity was lost. The rise of AI will make a significant portion of the population left with skills that will no longer be in demand. Education needs to shift toward enhancing individual perceptions and creativity . That ChatGPT passes exams is much more a reflection on exams than information about ChatGPT. We need to think about how we can prepare individuals for the future, where AI may take over more and more tasks that humans used to do. We need to find ways to stay relevant, to keep learning, and to adapt to change. We need to teach skills that are complementary to what AI can do, and prepare individuals for a constantly evolving world. One way to do this is by embracing the creator economy. The creator economy offers individuals the opportunity to use their unique skills and passions to create value for themselves and others. By embracing the creator economy, we can tap into our own innate creativity and use it to build a better future for ourselves and the world. Note of Gratitude. I wanted to take this last opportunity to say thank you. Thank you for being here! I would not be able to do what I do without people like you who follow along and take that leap of faith to read my post. I hope you’ll join me in my future blog post and stick around because I think we have something great here. And I hope that I will be able to help you along in your career for many more years to come! See you next time. Bye! More content at PlainEnglish.io . Sign up for our free weekly newsletter . Follow us on Twitter , LinkedIn , YouTube , and Discord . Interested in scaling your software startup ? Check out Circuit .