‘Let’s Be Like the Amish and Let’s Only Use Al for Certain Things’ — Bill Gates Says He’ll Leave It to the Younger Generation to Figure Out in the Next 20 Years

Bill Gates helped usher personal computers into everyday life. But as artificial intelligence advances, the Microsoft co-founder believes younger generations may face a very different decision about technology—how much of it they actually want.

“I mean, you could literally say, ‘Let's be like the Amish and let’s only use AI for certain things,’” Gates said during an interview on “Decoder,” hosted by The Verge’s Nilay Patel, released Oct. 22.

Gates raised the idea while discussing a future in which AI and robots could perform much of the work humans do today. If machines eventually make goods and services abundant, society may have to rethink not only employment but also the role people want work to play in their lives.

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Gates Says Younger Generations Will Have Choices

Gates said the prospect of abundance creates a problem of purpose, too. If AI can perform tasks better than people, deciding what humans should continue doing becomes a question for society.

“But then the other problem you have is a problem of abundance and purpose at that point,” Gates said. “But I’ll leave it to younger people to figure out at that point in time how they choose to deal with that.”

He then offered the Amish as an example of people who have chosen not to embrace every available technology.

Gates also suggested that certain professions, including childcare, food preparation, art, and sports, could be reserved for humans even if AI eventually performs those tasks better.

“I proposed in my memo the idea that some professions, childcare, food preparation, art, sports, a variety of things might get chosen to be human reserved, even though the AI could do those things better,” Gates said.

The point wasn’t that everyone should abandon AI. Rather, society could decide that efficiency isn’t the only thing that matters and that some activities are worth keeping human.

The Choice May Be About More Than Jobs

Gates acknowledged that deciding not to use technology to its full potential could become part of the conversation.

“We may need to develop the taste to actually not use technology to its maximum,” Gates said.

He also noted that some people may decide not to live at the technological frontier because they value helping others and coming up with unique ideas.

For younger people, the challenge will be deciding how to use AI without losing the sense of purpose that comes with making a meaningful contribution.

Gates has warned that the transition could bring major disruption before the benefits of abundance arrive. But his Amish comparison points to a more fundamental question about the future.

If AI can do almost everything, society may eventually have to decide which things it still wants people to do.

On the date of publication, Caleb Naysmith did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. For more information please view the Barchart Disclosure Policy here.