Bill Gates Says AI Could Replace Telemarketing and Accounting Jobs

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates said AI could replace workers in telemarketing, phone customer service and accounting as the technology advances toward an economy where human labor is unnecessary for most goods and services.

Gates expects a 20-year period of job losses and upheaval before AI brings broader abundance. He said AI could perform the listed jobs more cheaply, quickly or accurately. Separately, he said humanoid robots could take over blue-collar work.

If AI development is not broadly slowed, Gates said, robots could build homes, grow food and perform surgery. He has previously put the broader economic transition at about 20 years; these comments add job-specific detail to his earlier estimate.

Gates said work provides income, purpose, a reason to show up, relationships with colleagues, and ways to create and solve problems. He said art, sports, cooking and raising children could remain pursuits for people.