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Monday, March 17, 2014

Bill Gates Says Neither People Nor Governments Are Prepared for the Huge Changes Coming to the Labor Market

Within 20 years, “software substitution” will dramatically reduce the demand for many types jobs, Bill Gates said Thursday at the American Enterprise Institute. It’s a gloomy prediction that he says many people, including governments, aren’t prepared for.

Make no mistake, “software substitution” is a fancy way of saying software automation — as in “bots” and whatnot. Many of the jobs that could be eliminated are lower skill occupations.

“Software substitution, whether it’s for drivers or waiters or nurses … it’s progressing,” Gates said. “Technology over time will reduce demand for jobs, particularly at the lower end of skill set. … 20 years from now, labor demand for lots of skill sets will be substantially lower. I don’t think people have that in their mental model.”

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7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Mr. Gates and people like him are responsible for most of what's happening in the labor market.
The computers have laid off more employees than any other reason. Tech. has killed us.

Anonymous said...

That's all well and good, but if there are no jobs, There won't be people to buy the goods and services that Bill Gates envisions. As someone who worked for a Corporation for over 25 years, my advise is to act locally and not globally. If enough people stand together, I believe it can work. Let the market work on the local level, and see true change happen. We must help each other and our communities first. To hell with corporations. Traitors to the U.S. and our Constitution.

Anonymous said...

Technology is not the problem. It is the answer to a different question. Also 1:10 nailed it on the head. Corporations are what did this to this country. They consume much of the resources and push out local business while only a few at the top collect most of the money. They bribe their way through legislature. Their only concern is their stock price and they do not care how they make it rise. Corporations are some of the most evil things on this planet.

Anonymous said...

Neither corporations or technology are the problem. They are both simply behaving as they were designed to do. Want to find the source of the problem? Look right in the mirror. It is you, the droves of intellectually lazy blind partisan ideologues. You would rather sit around toting water for either political party, with little understanding of the issues, and no apparent will to do more than suck up whatever partisan story line they feed you. This has pushed the best ideas out of the political conversation and instead has rewarded who ever can scream the loudest. It has shut down open factual debate on the issues and replaced it with the crap that can best be described as "soft news" on Fox and MSNBC. It has also made it impossible for anyone outside of the two party system to effectively bring their ideas and positions to the national forefront.

But I know, I know, I must be just some lazy "libtard" looking for government handouts like an Obamaphone.

ginn said...

I saw a documentary where three or four credentialed visionaries portend America's future and returning to a local economy was a unanimous agreement. BTW, the other unanimous agreement was the need to revitalize our railways.., kinda tough when they're turning into bike paths.

Anonymous said...

The population is growing but opportunities are not because government regulation on patents holds up progress.Streamlining the patent office would help this country.

Anonymous said...

That Gates guy must be a real idiot….never going to happen.