Godfather of AI Geoffrey Hinton says the age of AI is a great time to be a plumber

As artificial intelligence (AI) reshapes the job market, Geoffrey Hinton, the godfather of AI known for his work on neural networks, said now is a great time to become a plumber, as technology will eventually “get to be better than us at everything.”

He noted that while this is the case, it’s going to be a long time before AI becomes good at physical manipulation, as reported by Business Insider.

This comes as Gen Z turns to blue-collar jobs amid the brutal job market.

Last year, Gen Z have reportedly been pursuing “traditional trades” like welding, plumbing, and carpentry instead of going to university or working in desk jobs.

According to Mr Hinton, he would be “terrified” to work as a paralegal or in a call centre, as AI is set to replace most mundane intellectual work. He noted that to have an AI-proof job, a person would need to be “very skilled”.

He also raised concerns about the unhappiness that comes with mass job displacement. Even with a universal basic income, a solution he believes could help narrow the wealth gap as AI takes over mundane jobs, he said, people would lose a sense of purpose without a job.

Mr Hinton said AI is already being used to do the kind of work that fresh graduates used to do. While some fields, such as healthcare, may still require additional personnel despite the use of AI tools, for many, the technology will simply mean “mass firings,” as one person with an AI assistant can now perform the work of 10. /TISG

Read also: ITE grad says he only earned $1.6K/month in Singapore but now makes $100K/year in Australia ‘just as a simple plumber’