The co-founder of Microsoft warns that artificial intelligence will radically transform healthcare and education in the next decade
Bill Gates is clear: artificial intelligence (AI) will completely change the landscape of two of the fundamental pillars of any modern society—education and healthcare—so much so that it may render teachers and doctors unnecessary in the next ten years.
The co-founder of Microsoft has been warning for months about the profound changes that generative AI will bring, a field he is not unfamiliar with. Microsoft has maintained a strategic partnership with OpenAI since 2019, the company responsible for tools like ChatGPT, in which it has invested over $13 billion. Additionally, the American tech giant has become the exclusive cloud service provider for OpenAI through its Azure platform.
In his most recent remarks, Gates stated that the world is about to enter a new era that he calls “free intelligence”, a phase marked by widespread access to advanced AI tools capable of replacing human professionals in a multitude of key functions.
“The replacement will not be immediate or automatic,” the businessman clarified. “People themselves will decide which aspects they want to keep human.” However, he acknowledged that there will be areas where AI will ultimately prevail due to sheer efficiency. Among these, he highlighted two particularly sensitive domains: education and medicine.
An AI for Every Student and Diagnoses in Seconds
In the educational sphere, Gates envisions a future where each student has a personalized AI teacher, capable of adapting to their learning level, pace, and difficulties. This advancement, according to the magnate, would allow for overcoming some of the current limitations of the educational system and significantly improving school outcomes.
In healthcare, AI could mean a true revolution: faster diagnoses, automated screenings for mild cases, and suggested treatments in record time. All of this promises to ease the workload on the system and reduce the endless waiting lists that affect millions of patients, especially in countries like Spain.
“It may seem like a radical vision,” Gates acknowledged, “but if the result is better healthcare and more effective education, it will be hard to stop this transformation.”
Not Just Doctors and Teachers: Programmers Also in the Crosshairs
The advancement of AI will not stop at classrooms or medical offices. Gates also warned that other professions are already feeling the effects of this technological wave. Biologists, energy experts, and programmers will—according to the businessman—be next to be displaced by automated systems.
In the latter case, the transformation is already underway. AI tools that generate code or detect errors are being widely adopted by developers around the world. Google, for instance, stated in October 2024 that over 25% of the code generated by its teams now comes from artificial intelligence.
Jensen Huang, CEO of NVIDIA, also spoke along these lines at the beginning of 2024, warning those learning programming that they might need to reconsider their future plans. NVIDIA is currently the undisputed leader in the development of AI chips.
An Unstoppable Transformation
Despite the reluctance this technological revolution may generate, Gates asserts that the mass adoption of artificial intelligence will be inevitable, driven by improved services, reduced costs, and the ability to offer personalized solutions at scale.
“AI is not here to destroy, but to improve,” the businessman concluded. “And if we know how to use it responsibly, it can help us build a fairer, healthier, and smarter future.”
Gates’ warning is not just a prediction: it is a call to prepare for a new world where artificial intelligence will play a central role in our lives. And that future, according to him, is just around the corner.
Source: Artificial Intelligence News