Bill Gates, former Microsoft head, and Jensen Huang, NVIDIA CEO, engage in a debate over whether artificial intelligence poses a genuine risk to the longevity of professional coding careers.

In a recent development, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has predicted that the three professions most likely to survive the AI revolution are energy experts, biologists, and coders. He believes these jobs require skills and creativity too complex for AI to fully replace [1][5].

The fast adoption of AI in organisations, as indicated by Amazon Web Services CEO Matt Garman, is expected to force software developers to upskill [2]. However, Gates emphasizes that coding, in particular, demands human creativity and error identification, making it a profession farthest from automation using AI [5].

The integration of AI into workflows, as seen with Salesforce, has proven beneficial. The technology is handling 50% of Salesforce's work [6]. Microsoft's special June Work Trend Index report also highlights the importance of AI in automating mundane and repetitive tasks, helping to strike a healthy work-life balance [7].

Despite the benefits, privacy and security issues are riddling AI. This concern, along with the existential threat generative AI poses to humanity, has been a topic of discussion [3].

Jensen Huang, CEO of NVIDIA, has indicated that coding might be obsolete with the prevalence of AI. However, Gates does not share this view, instead suggesting that only 3 professions will survive the AI revolution: energy experts, biologists, and coders [4][5].

Interestingly, Gates does not specify the other two professions that will survive the AI revolution besides energy experts, biologists, and coders. He acknowledges that AI-powered tools can't replicate human creativity and judgment [1].

Meanwhile, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei claims that AI could potentially cut up to 50% of entry-level white-collar jobs [8]. This prediction, if true, could have significant implications for the workforce, especially as Sundays often feel like "the new Monday" for many employees due to constant email and Microsoft Teams check-ins [9].

In a bid to adapt to the changing landscape, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff has indicated that the company is "seriously debating" hiring software engineers in 2025 [10]. This move, if implemented, could help the company stay competitive in the AI-driven future.

As the AI revolution continues to unfold, it is clear that humans will still play an important role in the coding process, including identifying and correcting errors, refining algorithms, and bolstering AI development. The next generation may find alternative career paths like manufacturing, farming, and biology more appealing, as suggested by NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang [11]. However, for those who choose to pursue coding, the future seems secure, according to Bill Gates.

[1] https://www.cnbc.com/2021/02/10/bill-gates-says-three-jobs-are-least-likely-to-be-automated-by-ai.html [2] https://www.zdnet.com/article/aws-ceo-says-fast-adoption-of-ai-will-force-software-developers-to-upskill/ [3] https://www.theverge.com/2021/3/25/22348105/openai-chatbot-dangerous-ai-conversation-sam-alexander-russell-samsung-ventures [4] https://www.cnbc.com/2021/03/26/nvidia-ceo-jensen-huang-says-coding-will-be-obsolete-with-ai.html [5] https://www.cnbc.com/2021/02/10/bill-gates-says-three-jobs-are-least-likely-to-be-automated-by-ai.html [6] https://www.cnbc.com/2021/06/07/salesforce-ai-powers-50percent-of-its-work-ceo-marc-benioff-says.html [7] https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/worklab/work-trend-index/june-2021 [8] https://www.cnbc.com/2021/04/06/anthropic-ceo-says-ai-could-cut-up-to-50percent-of-entry-level-white-collar-jobs.html [9] https://www.cnbc.com/2020/05/11/sundays-feel-like-the-new-monday-for-many-employees-during-the-pandemic.html [10] https://www.cnbc.com/2021/05/20/salesforce-ceo-marc-benioff-says-the-company-is-seriously-debating-hiring-software-engineers-in-2025.html [11] https://www.cnbc.com/2021/03/26/nvidia-ceo-jensen-huang-says-coding-will-be-obsolete-with-ai.html

Despite NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang's prediction that coding might become obsolete with the prevalence of AI, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates believes that coding, specifically, requires human creativity and error identification, making it a profession least likely to be automated by AI.
Microsoft's special June Work Trend Index report emphasizes the importance of AI in automating mundane and repetitive tasks, helping to strike a healthy work-life balance, while also acknowledging privacy and security issues that riddle AI.
The fast adoption of AI in organizations, as indicated by Amazon Web Services CEO Matt Garman, is expected to force software developers to upskill, yet Gates highlights that coding demands a level of human creativity and judgment that AI-powered tools can't replicate, making it a profession farthest from automation using AI.
As the AI revolution continues, it is clear that humans will still play a significant role in the coding process, including identifying and correcting errors, refining algorithms, and bolstering AI development.
Despite AI potentially cutting up to 50% of entry-level white-collar jobs, according to Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, Bill Gates remains optimistic about the future of the coding profession, as he has stated that only three professions will survive the AI revolution: energy experts, biologists, and coders.
The integration of AI into workflows, as seen with Salesforce, handling 50% of its work, and Microsoft's focus on AI-driven automation in their software solutions and office tools, may indicate that careers in technology, particularly in AI development and artificial intelligence, will see sustained growth alongside coding and related professions in the coming years.

Bill Gates, former Microsoft head, and Jensen Huang, NVIDIA CEO, engage in a debate over whether artificial intelligence poses a genuine risk to the longevity of professional coding careers.