AI is a double-edged sword that will eliminate some jobs but also help retrain workers, LinkedIn's Reid Hoffman says
- AI is a double-edged sword, which may eliminate some jobs yet has the power to reskill workers, according to the co-founder of LinkedIn.
- "AI can be part of the solution," Reid Hoffman said in during an interview with Fortune.
The rise of artificial intelligence will wipe out some jobs – but the groundbreaking technology also has its positives from an employment standpoint, according to the co-founder of LinkedIn.
"There will be some jobs that will disappear and navigating all that's really important, both as CEOs and as societies…But A.I. can be part of the solution. How do you reskill people? How do you help match them to other jobs? How do you give him superpowers to do other jobs?" Reid Hoffman said in an interview with Fortune, when asked whether generative AI would eliminate jobs.
"Well, A.I. is an answer on all three of those things. And so when you say what should we be doing as leaders? What should we be doing as government? Well, let's help people. Let's use the technology to help make the transition," he told the publication.
The cutting-edge technology has soared in popularity over recent months following the blockbuster debut of OpenAI's human-like large language tool ChatGPT. And that has set off an AI arms race among Big Tech companies including Apple, Microsoft and Google, and a blistering rally in mega-cap tech shares this year.
However, that hasn't come without sparking some concern. Like Hoffman, several top executives have warned that AI could replace certain full-time jobs, including tech occupations such as software developers or computer programmers.
The CEO of OpenAI himself has said he's "a little bit scared" of his company's ChatGPT invention, and warned that it could eliminate many jobs.
Meanwhile, British telecommunications giant BT Group said it's planning to slash as many as 55,000 jobs by 2030 wherein 10,000 of those roles could be replaced by some form of AI.