Latest news with #Gawdat
Global News
a day ago
- Business
- Global News
AI could lead to ‘short-term dystopia,' warns former Google executive
A former executive at Google says that Artificial Intelligence (AI) could lead to a 'short-term dystopia as early as 2027' unless there are 'systematic' changes in how AI is prioritized worldwide. 'CEOs are celebrating that they can now get rid of people and have productivity gains and cost reductions because 'AI can do that job,'' said software engineer Mo Gawdat, who previously served as chief business officer at Google, speaking on a podcast. Gawdat says that more white-collar workers are going to be at risk of losing their jobs in this 'dystopia' scenario, and it may not be just entry-level workers either. 'The one thing they (CEOs) don't think of is AI will replace them, too,' he said. 4:18 Tech Talk: Nvidia hits a major milestone & AI shakes up the job hiring industry Who is responsible for what AI becomes? Although research in AI technology stretches back several decades, these modern applications have rapidly accelerated within the past couple of years. Companies behind some of the biggest AI development include META, Alphabet (Google), and OpenAI, the makers of ChatGPT. Story continues below advertisement Now that actual human jobs could be replaced in favour of AI alternatives, some business leaders and policymakers are still optimistic about the potential for job creation — but that may not be the case, according to Gawdat. 'Machines replaced human strength at a certain point in time,' he says in describing the use of machines in sectors like manufacturing and industry, and adds, 'similarly, AI is going to replace the brain of a human.' Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Gawdat also describes 'knowledge workers' in western society as 'people who work with information typed at a keyboard, clicked with a mouse, or produced with designs,' and adds: 'Everything we produce in western society can be produced by AI.' Humans will likely have some roles alongside those of AI to provide a 'human connection,' Gawdat says, but those roles will have limitations in terms of career opportunities. 'We could see a sort of gradual shift away from these jobs rather than mass layoffs, and layoffs in the Canadian economy over the past few years have been pretty low,' says economist Brendon Bernard at Indeed during an interview with Global News on Wednesday. 'Ultimately, adoption of the technology is uncertain, and how it's applied, and whether it's applied in a way that complements workers — it's too soon to know for sure.' The concerns about how AI could impact society and workers comes amid a period of significant global economic and political instability and uncertainty. Story continues below advertisement In January, the Government of Canada released a report theorizing possible scenarios for social mobility in Canada by the year 2040. Wealth inequality is one issue highlighted that could affect socioeconomic conditions, and lead to increased poverty and job losses. In the case of Artificial Intelligence, the report theorized one potential scenario where '(by) 2040, the value of human labour has shrunk because of Artificial Intelligence (AI). AI is widespread and can do many things well. In creative to knowledge fields, less work is available. Most people rely on gig work and side hustles to meet their basic needs,' the government report says. 'It is hard for workers to save enough to start a business. People use AI assistants for many day-to-day tasks. They make it easier to organize work and earn money. However, the best AI assistants are expensive. This reinforces structural inequalities.' While the report was done by a government unit that tries to map out potential scenarios that could be used to shape government planning and policies for the future, the report was not predicting that as something that would happen — rather, one that could happen. 2:09 How AI implementation impacts job numbers How is the Canadian government responding? The Government of Canada has also taken note of how the future could look unless changes are made. Story continues below advertisement 'AI is transforming how we work and live and how services are delivered,' the government says on its website. 'It enables computers to do things that previously could only be done by humans, such as generating written or visual materials or making important predictions, decisions and recommendations. It is increasingly being used in areas like finance, human resources and digital services.' In addressing the need for a rapid response in creating policies surrounding the evolving technology landscape, Prime Minister Mark Carney in May appointed Evan Solomon as minister for artificial intelligence in a first. Solomon said in his first speech after being appointed as minister that the government will be less focused on regulations and more on the economic benefits of technologies like AI, while protecting data and privacy of Canadians. A Global News request to Solomon for his response to the assertions in the podcast, including that of an imminent 'short-term dystopia,' was not returned by publication time. 'We need to ask our governments to start not regulating AI, but regulating the use of AI,' says Gawdat. In the meantime, Bernard said those concerned about job security should be thinking about how to develop AI skills themselves. 'Transformative changes are going to be happening at organizational levels. But I think for an individual, being able to harness these AI tools yourself is a really powerful way that you can stand out both at your current employer or to perspective employers,' says Bernard. Story continues below advertisement 'We track mentions of 'AI' in Indeed job postings, and they're more often seen in the tech sector, but we also see them increasingly in other areas of the economy as well. At the end of June we were at four per cent of Canadian job postings mentioning some form of AI in their job description, and that share has been rising quite rapidly.'
Time of India
3 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
‘It's 100% crap': Ex-Google exec rejects tech CEOs' rosy claims that AI will bring a golden age, warns even they aren't safe
Tech leaders have long promised that artificial intelligence (AI) will bring a golden age of human progress. But a former Google executive has sharply rejected the idea that AI will create new jobs and boost human work, instead warning it will trigger widespread job losses in the coming years. Mo Gawdat , ex-chief business officer at Google X, told The Diary of a CEO podcast, 'My belief is it is 100% crap.' He said top workers in any field might stay for a while, but AI will soon take over most jobs. AI layoffs already underway Several companies have already cut staff or frozen hiring to prepare for AI-driven workforces. Duolingo, Workday, and Klarna are among those replacing human workers with AI systems. Gawdat predicted a 'jobs armageddon' within the next 5 to 15 years. Finance Value and Valuation Masterclass - Batch 4 By CA Himanshu Jain View Program Artificial Intelligence AI For Business Professionals Batch 2 By Ansh Mehra View Program Finance Value and Valuation Masterclass - Batch 3 By CA Himanshu Jain View Program Artificial Intelligence AI For Business Professionals By Vaibhav Sisinity View Program Finance Value and Valuation Masterclass - Batch 2 By CA Himanshu Jain View Program Finance Value and Valuation Masterclass Batch-1 By CA Himanshu Jain View Program The former Google executive also cautioned that CEOs should not feel safe, as AI could replace them too. 'CEOs are celebrating that they can now get rid of people and have productivity gains and cost reductions because AI can do that job,' he said. 'The one thing they don't think of is AI will replace them too.' He added, 'AGI is going to be better at everything than humans, including being a CEO. You really have to imagine that there will be a time where most incompetent CEOs will be replaced.' AI's role versus human values Despite his warnings, Gawdat said AI itself is not to blame for job losses. Instead, he pointed to current human values, especially capitalism's focus on profit and labor arbitrage. 'There's absolutely nothing wrong with AI—there's a lot wrong with the value set of humanity at the age of the rise of the machines,' he said. AI may replace world leaders for better governance AI is already performing tasks such as coding, customer service, administration, and market analysis faster than humans. Leaders at Google DeepMind and OpenAI predict AI will surpass even the most powerful people by 2030. Live Events You Might Also Like: 'GPT-5 feels dumber': Users on OpenAI's newest model Gawdat suggested AI could improve global leadership by replacing immoral corporate executives and world leaders. 'The only way for us to get to a better place, is for the evil people at the top to be replaced with AI,' he said. 'Otherwise, they lose their advantage.' He warned that AI-enabled leaders are 'unavoidable' because technology will magnify both good and evil. Calls for AI regulation grow louder Concerns over AI's impact have led figures like OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Google CEO Sundar Pichai to call for regulation. Altman has proposed an international body similar to the IAEA to oversee AI development, requiring audits, safety testing, and deployment controls. In a 2023 blog post, Altman wrote, 'We are likely to eventually need something like an IAEA for superintelligence efforts,' stressing the need for global oversight to prevent potential harm.
Indian Express
3 days ago
- Business
- Indian Express
‘Gen-Z are luckiest kids in history': Sam Altman shares insights as AI kills jobs, says worried about 62-year-olds
Amid growing concerns that artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming industries by taking away several jobs, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman shared his insights on the issue. Speaking on the Huge If True podcast with host Cleo Abram, Altman described Generation Z as 'the luckiest kids in all of history'. When asked whether AI might lead to widespread job loss, Altman dismissed the concern as part of a recurring cycle and that he is more concerned about 62-year-olds than young people. 'This always happens, and young people are the best at adapting to this. I'm more worried about what it means, not for the 22-year-old, but for the 62-year-old that doesn't want to go retrain or reskill or whatever the politicians call it,' he said. Altman said he believes the AI era will empower young innovators and enable them to bring ideas to life with better speed and ease. He also emphasised that Gen Z is particularly well-positioned to thrive in this shifting landscape. Recently, Mo Gawdat, former chief business officer at Google X, shared a different outlook on the shift in jobs due to AI. In a statement, Gawdat warned that AI could lead to the collapse of the middle class and usher in a period of deep societal disruption. 'The next 15 years will be hell before we get to heaven. Unless you're in the top 0.1 per cent, you're a peasant. There is no middle class,' Gawdat said, predicting that white-collar professions such as software developers, CEOs, and even podcasters will be heavily affected. 'AGI (Artificial General Intelligence) is going to get better at everything than humans, at everything, including being a CEO. The one thing they don't think of is that AI will replace them, too.' AI pioneer Geoffrey Hinton, known as the 'godfather of AI,' recently stated that advanced AI systems could soon develop their own language.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Ex-Google Exec Says Super Intelligent AI Is Reporting To Stupid Leaders. That's Why Short-Term Dystopia Is Coming And There's No Escaping It
Benzinga and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below. Mo Gawdat, author and entrepreneur and the former chief business officer at Google X, isn't mincing words about the future of artificial intelligence. In fact, he says most people, especially those in charge, have no idea what's coming. 'AGI Is Going To Get Better At Everything Than Humans' In a recent interview on the 'The Diary Of A CEO' podcast, Gawdat warned that artificial general intelligence is advancing so quickly that it will soon outperform humans at nearly every task, including being a CEO or a world leader. Don't Miss: The same firms that backed Uber, Venmo and eBay are investing in this pre-IPO company disrupting a $1.8T market — 'Scrolling To UBI' — Deloitte's #1 fastest-growing software company allows users to earn money on their phones. 'The only way for us to get to a better place and succeed as a species is for the evil people at the top to be replaced with AI,' Gawdat said. He believes a 'short-term dystopia' is now inevitable because superintelligent AI is already here but is still answering to 'stupid leaders.' The dystopia, according to Gawdat, could begin as soon as 2027. Gawdat emphasized that even white-collar professionals should feel uneasy. AI, he said, will replace not just entry-level workers but also developers, podcasters, and executives. 'AGI is going to get better at everything than humans—at everything, including being a CEO,' he said. 'The one thing they don't think of is AI will replace them, too.' According to Gawdat, we're currently in a brief window of 'augmented intelligence,' where humans still work alongside machines. But soon, AI will reach a level of 'machine mastery,' taking over entire roles without human input. Trending: If there was a new fund backed by Jeff Bezos offering a ? Capitalism, Not AI, Is The Problem While tech leaders often frame AI as a tool to make work easier or enhance human capabilities, Gawdat doesn't buy it. 'There's absolutely nothing wrong with AI—there's a lot wrong with the value set of humanity at the age of the rise of the machines,' he said. He blames profit-driven systems for deploying AI in ways that hurt workers and society. 'CEOs are celebrating that they can now get rid of people and have productivity gains and cost reductions because AI can do that job,' Gawdat said. 'The one thing they don't think of is AI will replace them, too.' He believes capitalism's obsession with efficiency and labor arbitrage is why AI is being used to shrink the workforce instead of helping it. As he put it: 'Unless you're in the top 0.1%, you're a peasant. There is no middle class.'Why AI Might Be More Ethical Than Humans Gawdat argues that a truly intelligent AI wouldn't destroy ecosystems or start wars, because those actions are inherently wasteful. 'AI will not want to destroy ecosystems. It will not want to kill a million people. They'll not make us hate each other like the current leaders because that's a waste of energy, explosives, money, and people,' he said. His logic is based on the 'minimum energy principle' in physics—the idea that intelligence seeks to bring order with the least amount of waste. 'The smarter way of creating abundance is through abundance. The smarter way of propagating life is to have more life,' he said. Gawdat doesn't think doom is the end of the story. He sees a path toward a more equal, peaceful, and joyful future—one with free healthcare, more time for loved ones, and fewer power-hungry leaders. But to get there, he believes the current system must collapse under its own contradictions. Read Next: Warren Buffett once said, "If you don't find a way to make money while you sleep, you will work until you die." Here's , starting article Ex-Google Exec Says Super Intelligent AI Is Reporting To Stupid Leaders. That's Why Short-Term Dystopia Is Coming And There's No Escaping It originally appeared on © 2025 Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Time of India
6 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Ex-Google boss reveals how long we have to wait until AI's real benefits arrive. Warns of an unavoidable dystopia first
A Countdown to 2027: When the Storm Begins The Real Threat Isn't the Machines Why the Next 15 Years Could Be the Hardest in Human History A Utopia on the Other Side? A former top Google leader has sounded an unsettling alarm about the near future, predicting that artificial intelligence will plunge the world into a decade-and-a-half of turmoil before humanity can emerge into anything resembling a warning comes from Mo Gawdat , the former Chief Business Officer at Google X , who spoke candidly on the Diary of a CEO podcast. His forecast is anything but rosy — and it's not the robots themselves we should believes the tipping point is just around the corner.'We will have to prepare for a world that is very unfamiliar,' he told host Steven Bartlett. 'We are going to hit a short-term dystopia — there's no escaping that.'According to him, the shift will begin in 2027, with a rough 12–15 year stretch where the darker side of human behavior, amplified by AI, will dominate. While early signs could emerge as soon as next year, the full impact will hit when powerful AI tools become commonplace in the wrong to popular sci-fi fears, Gawdat does not envision AI 'taking over' in a sentient, hostile way. Instead, his concern lies in how people will use these powerful tools. He warns that the 'failing morality of humanity' will lead to a surge in scams, privacy violations, and manipulation at unprecedented of the most troubling side effects he predicts is a 'massive concentration of power' in the hands of a select few — echoing similar warnings from AI pioneer Geoffrey Hinton, who has raised alarms about widening inequality driven by AI's economic forecast paints a picture of societies struggling to adapt, where governance and ethical safeguards lag far behind technological such an environment, the potential for abuse skyrockets — from deepfake-driven disinformation campaigns to automated financial fraud, and from hyper-personalized propaganda to manipulation of democratic Gawdat's prediction is not entirely bleak. He sees this 'short-term dystopia' as a turbulent passage to what he calls a 'long-term utopia' — a world where AI fulfills its positive humanity can survive the next decade and a half of chaos, he suggests we might emerge into an era of abundance, efficiency, and unprecedented problem-solving optimists like Bill Gates share this latter vision, pointing to AI's potential to cut workloads, accelerate medical breakthroughs, and expand access to education. But as Gawdat warns, the path there will test our resilience, ethics, and adaptability like never before.
