AI in Action: What the Next Three Years Mean for the Workforce
In a conversation tinged with hope and dread, Kai-Fu Lee, founder of Wanzhi, the newest in a line of AI products, and Allison, Fortune's editor-in-chief, discuss the significant implications of AI for the future. The conversation highlights AI's dual potential to revolutionize and disrupt our lives. Let's take a deeper look at their insights.
Kai-Fu Lee, an AI luminary, believes that AI is humanity's greatest significant breakthrough. He describes his initial assumption that developing AI would unlock the riddles of human intellect. Decades later, his perspective has changed. While AI can outperform humans in many categories, it does not always imitate our minds. The silver lining is that AI's potential exceeds original estimates; nonetheless, cognitive scientists are still required to grasp human cognition.
The discussion switches to the topic of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI). Kaifu questions the idea that AGI, a superset of human intelligence, is the ultimate aim. He contends that the value of AI rests not in the replication of human features but in the ability to execute tasks beyond human capabilities. Unlike people, AI is based on data and processing power, making it incomparable to human intelligence.
Kaifu's firm, Zeroone.ai, represents his vision for AI's future. The company was founded a year ago and is now valued at billions of dollars. The startup fills a major gap: China's inability to use ChatGPT due to OpenAI limitations. Kaifu argues that China should not be excluded from the AI revolution. He also criticizes the move toward closed AI systems, arguing for openness and engagement with academics and the open-source community.
Zeroone.ai's strategy is open, in contrast to the increasingly closed nature of major AI startups. By making their models available on sites such as Hugging Face, they hope to democratize AI and promote global creativity. Kaifu draws comparisons between the early days of personal computers and mobile technologies, anticipating a similar path for AI. He envisions a future in which AI businesses build a full stack, from infrastructure to applications, driving both innovation and income.
Despite the dominance of companies such as Google and OpenAI, Kaifu advocates for a targeted, efficient strategy. His technique combines a small team of researchers with a strong infrastructure team to maximize GPU utilization while lowering costs. This strategy is similar to Huawei's success with the Polar Code, emphasizing thorough study and strategic conclusions. Looking ahead, Kaifu considers his forecasts for the AI landscape. He maintains that data is the new oil, propelling AI forward. He also reiterates his conviction that the United States excels at innovation while China leads in execution. This dynamic is visible in the rapid growth of Chinese AI businesses, which are closing the gap with their American counterparts.
Kaifu provides insight into the future of important technology businesses. He is optimistic about OpenAI, expecting that it will become a trillion-dollar firm within a few years. Despite some criticism, he recognizes OpenAI's remarkable performance. He also emphasizes NVIDIA's dominance, citing its superior CPUs and ecosystem. While Microsoft has formed strategic alliances, he believes they should innovate beyond incorporating AI into existing products. Despite its limitations, Google still has the highest concentration of AI expertise, indicating the possibility for future breakthroughs. For entrepreneurs, Kaifu underlines the enormous prospects presented by AI. He warns about the growing disparity between the "haves" and the "have-nots," which is being driven by access to resources such as GPUs. The discrepancy impacts not only entrepreneurs but also researchers and universities. Kaifu's objective at zeroone.ai is to make AI accessible, addressing these inequalities.
The discussion also covers the societal implications of AI, specifically employment displacement. Kaifu's prediction that AI would replace 40-50% of jobs within 10-15 years is proving correct, particularly for white-collar jobs. In his book, AI 2041, he emphasizes the need for governments to address this dilemma and offers innovative solutions.
Kaifu believes that rather than viewing AI as cheating, future generations should embrace technology as a tool. He emphasizes the value of using AI to improve human capacities. He also emphasizes the unique qualities of humanity—compassion, empathy, trust, and emotional intelligence—that AI cannot reproduce.
In conclusion, while AI poses considerable obstacles, it also provides enormous opportunities. By concentrating on what makes us human and using AI as a tool, we can effectively navigate this disruptive future. The essence of our humanity—empathy, trust, and connection—will remain critical as we incorporate AI into our daily lives.
