"Kai-Fu Lee: By 2027, Artificial Intelligence Will Replace 50% of Human Jobs"

2024-05-27

According to the latest report, renowned venture capitalist and CEO of Innovation Works, Kai-Fu Lee, had foreseen the significant transformation of artificial intelligence in the labor market long before OpenAI's ChatGPT gained global attention. In an interview in 2017, Kai-Fu Lee boldly predicted that the influence of artificial intelligence would surpass any previous technological revolution in human history, including the widespread adoption of electricity and the internet. He believed that the capabilities of artificial intelligence would far exceed those of humans and could potentially have a tremendous impact across various industries, potentially replacing up to 50% of human jobs, thereby generating enormous wealth for society and helping to alleviate poverty. Seven years later, when asked if this prediction still holds true, Kai-Fu Lee stated at the Fortune Global Forum in Hong Kong that his prediction was highly accurate. He admitted that although he faced some criticism and skepticism initially, more and more people are now recognizing his viewpoint as the rise of the new generation of artificial intelligence technologies continues. Kai-Fu Lee further pointed out that artificial intelligence may replace white-collar jobs faster than blue-collar jobs, which is a matter of great concern. He emphasized that some countries have already begun to realize this challenge and are taking measures to address this transformation. When discussing future career choices, Kai-Fu Lee advised parents not to overly worry about their children using tools like ChatGPT for cheating. He believed that these artificial intelligence tools should be seen as aids, similar to Microsoft Word or Adobe Photoshop, which can help people work more efficiently. He stressed that in the future workplace, the focus should be on individuals' work achievements and performance rather than whether they used a particular tool. At the same time, Kai-Fu Lee also emphasized the uniqueness of humans. He acknowledged that although artificial intelligence has surpassed humans in certain aspects, humans still possess advantages that machines cannot compare to, such as empathy, emotional communication, and the ability to establish trust. He emphasized that these abilities will become even more crucial in future career development. Regarding how parents can guide their children to face the challenges of future careers, Kai-Fu Lee suggested encouraging children to actively learn and master new technologies while also focusing on developing their emotional intelligence and teamwork skills. He believed that as long as children can genuinely connect with others and earn trust, they will stand out in future career competitions.