Bill Gates is worried about artificial intelligence too

Bill Gates says artificial intelligence should be treated as a long-term concern. He argues that machines may first take on many jobs in ways that are useful if managed well, but that stronger intelligence could later become a problem.

He places that warning alongside Elon Musk and Stephen Hawking, and notes that work on systems like Cortana and Microsoft’s Personal Agent shows how machine intelligence is already entering consumer products. He also tells a Reddit user that learning to program is still useful.

Reading notes

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• Gates warns that superintelligence could become concerning within a few decades.
• He says machines doing many jobs for people could be positive if it is managed well.
• He aligns himself with Elon Musk and Stephen Hawking on the need for concern.
• The article links this warning to Microsoft’s work on Cortana and Personal Agent.
• Gates says programming is safe for now and will always be useful.