Is it safer to be a nurse than a doctor in the age of AI? Google DeepMind CEO shares a surprising take

Economic Times

13 hours ago

Synopsis
Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis believes AI may surpass doctors in diagnosis but won't replace nurses, highlighting the irreplaceable role of human empathy. In a *Wired* interview, he emphasized that while AI can assist in clinical tasks, the compassionate care provided by nurses is uniquely human—suggesting empathy could be our most enduring asset in an AI-driven future.
Agencies As AI advances, experts like DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis suggest that emotionally intelligent and hands-on roles will remain crucial. Hassabis believes AI may assist doctors but not replace nurses' empathy. As artificial intelligence tightens its grip on nearly every industry, a quiet but profound truth is emerging: it may be the most emotionally intelligent among us—not the most highly qualified—who survive the next wave of automation. While corporate titans and tech pioneers debate the ethical and economic fallout of an AI-powered future, Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis has offered a humanizing perspective that might surprise you. In a recent interview with Wired , Hassabis suggested that while artificial intelligence may one day outperform doctors, it will likely fall short of replacing nurses. 'Maybe a doctor and what the doctor does and the diagnosis, one could imagine that being helped by AI tools, or even having an AI kind of doctor,' Hassabis explained to Wired . 'On the other hand, like nursing—I don't think you'd want a robot to do that. There's something about the human empathy aspect… that's particularly humanistic.'
In other words, the future of work may not depend solely on your degree, but on your ability to comfort, connect, and care—qualities machines still cannot mimic. This revelation adds nuance to the growing anxiety surrounding AI-led job disruptions. Just weeks ago, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy warned that AI advancements would lead to reductions in workforce across the company. Nvidia's Jensen Huang echoed this during a public interview, acknowledging that while AI will eliminate some roles, it will also create new ones.
But Hassabis believes the real shift will come in the next five to ten years. 'As in the past, what generally tends to happen is new jobs are created that are actually better, that utilize these tools or new technologies,' he told Wired .
Hassabis's argument gains added depth when placed alongside the words of Geoffrey Hinton, the Nobel-winning "Godfather of AI." Hinton, who left Google in 2023 to freely express his growing concerns, recently suggested something few would have expected: train to be a plumber. 'It's going to be a long time before AI is as good at physical manipulation as us,' Hinton said during an appearance on The Diary of a CEO podcast. 'A good bet would be to be a plumber.' According to Hinton, while AI may revolutionize legal research and data-heavy desk jobs, it will struggle with hands-on work—like tightening a leaky faucet or holding the hand of a frightened patient. In an era when jobs are often judged by titles and salaries, it's ironic that roles like nursing and plumbing—often undervalued and overworked—are emerging as some of the most future-proof careers. These professions require human traits that no algorithm can code: intuition, improvisation, and above all, compassion.
It's a compelling twist in the AI narrative. The conversation is no longer just about who is smartest or most productive. It's also about who is most human. As Hinton warned, AI might one day control power grids and surpass human cognition—but it won't know how to comfort a crying patient or navigate the mess under your kitchen sink. As Hassabis puts it, there are things 'we won't want to do with a machine.' And that may just be our saving grace. As Big Tech races toward artificial general intelligence, some of the brightest minds behind the revolution are urging caution—and compassion. While machines may soon write better code, draft legal memos, or even suggest medical diagnoses, they still cannot feel. And that, perhaps, is why jobs rooted in empathy and physical presence—nursing, caregiving, plumbing—may outlast the digital storm.