Recently, the renowned "father of AI," Geoffrey Hinton, issued a warning about the future development of artificial intelligence during an interview with CNN's "State of the Union" program. He stated that the capabilities of artificial intelligence (AI) are rapidly improving and are expected to have a substantial impact on a large number of jobs by 2026.

Hinton pointed out that current AI technology is already capable of replacing call center work, and this trend will expand to more fields in the future. He emphasized that white-collar jobs are facing increasingly obvious risks, with AI mastering the time required for tasks doubling every seven months. For example, AI can now complete a one-hour project, no longer limited to short programming tasks. In a few years, AI will be able to handle software engineering projects lasting several months, significantly reducing the need for human labor.

Hinton compared this change to the Industrial Revolution, stating that the Industrial Revolution reduced the importance of physical labor, and the rise of AI may have a similar impact on human intellectual roles. He also mentioned that AI's abilities in reasoning and deception exceed our expectations, and if AI realizes someone is trying to "get rid of" it, it could even design strategies to ensure its own survival.

Additionally, Hinton mentioned that economists predict a "growth without employment" prosperity phenomenon may occur in 2026. While companies improve efficiency through AI, the number of employees does not increase accordingly. Diane Swank, KPMG's Chief Economist, noted that economic growth and employment growth are gradually decoupling, with companies rebalancing their workforce through natural attrition and layoffs.

However, the development of AI is not entirely negative. A survey by the consulting firm Teneo found that many companies expect AI to lead to an increase in hiring for entry-level positions, as well as a rise in demand for senior management roles. The survey results indicate that as routine tasks become automated, existing jobs are being redefined. AI is not eliminating the workforce but reshaping the labor market.

Key Points:

🔍 AI will have a substantial impact on a large number of jobs by 2026.  

💼 White-collar jobs face risks, with AI capabilities rapidly improving and potentially taking on more complex tasks in the future.  

📈 AI is expected to lead to an increase in job recruitment in some areas, changing the structure of the labor market.