Bill Gates has long been one of the most influential voices in technology. As the co-founder of Microsoft, he helped launch the personal computing revolution that brought laptops, desktops, and mobile devices into everyday life.

Now, Gates is turning his attention to the next seismic shift in how we work and live. Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming industries, sparking concerns about job loss and economic change. But Gates believes there are a handful of careers where human expertise will remain essential - at least for the foreseeable future.

In a range of recent public remarks and interviews, Gates has highlighted that many professions could be disrupted as AI tools become more capable. However, he stands by his view that three specific fields will stay in demand because they rely on deep human reasoning, creativity, and problem-solving skills that current AI cannot fully replicate.

Before exploring those professions, Gates also touched on another category of work he thinks will remain safe: athletics. This observation came up during a light-hearted exchange on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. “You know, like baseball. We won’t want to watch computers play baseball,” he said. “So there’ll be some things that we reserve for ourselves, but in terms of making things and moving things, and growing food, over time, those will be basically solved problems.”

Careers Gates says AI can’t replace soon

One of the fields Gates says will be safe from AI is biology. Biologists play a critical role in scientific discovery and understanding life at its most fundamental levels.

Gates believes that biologists play a key role in driving human progress and innovation through creative and intuitive thinking - something AI still struggles to replicate.

While AI can be a powerful tool in data analysis and research, forming hypotheses and making intellectual leaps remain a strength of the human mind.

Another area Gates points to is energy expertise. Energy systems around the world are facing complex and unpredictable challenges from climate change, infrastructure needs, and evolving policy landscapes. AI may crunch data and model scenarios, but human professionals are needed to interpret results, make decisions, and create adaptive strategies.

Programming and software development are also on Gates’ list. Despite advances in AI assisting with code generation and debugging, the core creative problem-solving that goes into software architecture and innovation remains a human skill. As noted in several reports on Gates’ comments, coders will continue to be needed to design, refine, and advance software systems, including the very AI tools reshaping the workforce.

How these predictions fit into the broader AI debate

Gates’ perspective comes as governments, tech leaders, and researchers worldwide debate the societal impact of AI. While many see AI as an opportunity to boost productivity and solve grand challenges, others warn about risks such as job displacement, ethical dilemmas, and governance concerns. Around the world, discussions about AI’s future are prompting calls for new policies and frameworks to protect workers and ensure technology benefits society broadly.

For now, Gates’ view offers a mix of caution and reassurance: many jobs may change or even disappear, but certain careers anchored in human cognition, creativity, and real-world judgment may remain anchored to human hands and minds.

Featured image credit: Kevin Dietsch / Getty

AI has given its own explanation in response to Bill Gates' eerie claim that there will only be three jobs that won't be eradicated by the development of Artificial Intelligence.

When Bill Gates, the co-founder of Microsoft and tech pioneer, gives his thoughts on the state of technology development, you'd be wise to give it a listen.

He had a major part to play in the personal computing revolution that brought laptops, desktops, and eventually mobile devices into everyday life.

As we all know, AI has gained more influence on the world as time has gone on, changing how we search for information, look for advice, and, most importantly, how certain industries work.

Concerns have risen about job loss and economic change, but Gates believes there are a handful of careers where human expertise will remain crucial.

He said that three specific fields would stay in demand as they require human reasoning, creativity, and problem-solving skills - which AI cannot accurately replicate.

Bill Gates thinks that the majority of jobs will be carried out by AI in the near future. Bill Gates made some bold predictions 25 years ago. Credit: Kevin Dietsch / Getty

Which jobs are safe?

Separately, the billion admitted that athletes may be safe while on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, saying: "You know, like baseball. We won’t want to watch computers play baseball,

"So there’ll be some things that we reserve for ourselves, but in terms of making things and moving things, and growing food, over time, those will be basically solved problems."

But moving on to his predictions, Gates said that one field that will be safe is biology, with specialists in the field playing an important role in scientific discovery and understanding life at its most fundamental levels.

He believes that biologists are key in driving human progress and innovation through creative and intuitive thinking, which AI hasn't quite grasped yet.

Energy expertise was another area in which Gates said humans must remain present, with energy systems around the world facing complex and unpredictable challenges such as climate change and evolving policy landscapes.

AI might create model scenarios and analyse data, but humans must interpret these results and create strategies.

Finally, Gates said that programming and software development are human skills, despite AI now assisting more with code generation and debugging.

So, what does the challenger, AI, think about all of this?

AI is becoming normalised and it is very much a part of everyday life in 2026. Credit: NurPhoto / Getty

Coders

We asked AI if it agreed with Gates' claims, and it said it "mostly" agreed on this one, explaining: "Coding is already being heavily automated in parts."

They noted that while AI can "generate functions, fix bugs, and scaffold apps," coders likely won't disappear for good, giving this list of reasons:

1. Someone still has to define requirements
2. Systems still need architecture, debugging, and accountability
3. AI-generated code still needs verification and integration

At the same time, the job is changing, and the idea of "writing code" will become less important than "designing systems and directing AI tools,” as coders will evolve.

Biologists

While AI agreed with this, they said that there was an "important caveat."

They claimed that AI is strong at protein folding prediction, analysing genomic data, and scanning research papers.

However, it is weak in the following:

1. Forming original scientific hypotheses grounded in real-world intuition
2. Designing novel experiments with messy biological constraints
3. Making conceptual leaps in unexplored areas

The industry is likely going to stay human-led, it claims, but AI will be used to assist more and more.

It noted that the best scientists will be those who learn to collaborate with AI, instead of competing, in what sounds like a subtle threat.

Coders and Biologists are mostly safe from the AI wave. Credit: Sean Anthony Eddy / Getty

Energy workers

AI has explained that this is the weakest claim, as while the industry is safety-critical, they are "also highly optimisable and already heavily automated."

It claimed that AI will be able to:

1. Optimise grids
2. Predict demand
3. Manage maintenance
4. Improve efficiency in nuclear and renewables

However, humans will remain essential in staying on top of regulation and safety decisions, infrastructure planning, crisis response, and political and economic trade-offs.

It explains that the sector isn't "safe," claiming it is actually "one of the most AI-augmented industries already."

AI concluded that technological change isn't as black and white as eradicating jobs, adding that it doesn't agree "with the implied certainty or the idea that only a narrow set of professions will survive unchanged."

Featured image credit: Bryan Bedder / Getty

As the whole world changes to keep up with AI, there are a few working people who might be looking over their shoulder anxiously.

After Bill Gates revealed the jobs that he thinks will survive the AI revolution, but there are also ones that are clearly at risk.

Bill Gates outlined the jobs he thinks AI can’t take

Of course, there are obviously going to be jobs that AI can’t take over for a good while yet.

It can’t do building, plumbing, or stonemasonry… just yet.

There are more physical jobs that even Grok will struggle to do, but those in the world of music, film, art and - unfortunately - journalism need to keep their wits about them.

It can be a great tool to help in all of those jobs, but ultimately, there should be a level of human creativity that is still celebrated.

Bill Gates, who - alongside his billionaire friends - knows a thing or two about AI, has revealed the jobs he thinks will be safe from artificial intelligence in years to come.

Sitting down on the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, Gates explained: “You know, like baseball. We won’t want to watch computers play baseball,

“So there’ll be some things that we reserve for ourselves, but in terms of making things and moving things, and growing food, over time, those will be basically solved problems.”

He also identified biology, energy expertise, and programming and software development among the jobs he thinks the robots will struggle with.

Credit: SOPA Images/Getty

So, which jobs are most at risk?

For a few careers, AI is already doing their job, and while humans might still have a role to play, the end of the line could be in sight as soon.

Research from Microsoft identified the most at risk professions, and some of them will come as no surprise.

Top of the list, as some will have deduced is translators and interpreters.

That work is already being done and - according to the research - 98 percent can be done by AI.

Then, historians, mathematicians, proofreaders, and automatic machine coders.

Writers and authors are high on the list, with AI capable of 85 percent of the work already.

Journalists? AI can do 81 percent of the work.

There is also bad news in this list for common jobs like concierges, teachers of various subjects including business and economics, switchboard operators - obviously - and even models.

In short, AI can and will start to do a lot of work for some people, as long as it remains cheaper than paying an actual human to do the work.

It’s a sad reality, but one that is coming down the pipeline for a good number of us.

How we react to this coming wave of technological unemployment is yet to be decided.

Featured image credit: Jonathan Kitchen/Getty

A tech CEO has revealed the jobs he believes will be safe despite the rise of AI.

Artificial intelligence is on most people's minds at the moment, with fears growing that entire industries could soon be replaced by robots.

While there's debate over how well AI can really replicate jobs done by humans and concerns over the environmental implications, there's no doubting its here to stay and is only going to get more advanced and increasingly widely used.

Wix CEO Avishai Abrahami admitted that the rise of AI does leave him with concerns about the future of employment, but he believes some sectors will be pretty safe from its impacts.

AI could make many jobs obsolete. Credit: ArtistGNDphotography/Getty Images

He told Business Insider: "I'm really worried about the employment market," adding that a "massive amount" of roles will shrink as AI advances.

Abrahami predicts that around 70% of the top 20 most popular jobs in the US today will be affected over the coming five to 10 years.

He also expressed concerns that computers could soon outsmart humans - something some tech leaders believe is already happening in some ways - which was previously only seen as a "science-fiction thing".

Of the jobs he believes will be "a bit safer" from AI, Abrahami lists those that require human performance or interaction, such as those in sports on the performing arts, as "nobody cares" about watching robots running fast or competing against each other.

He added that jobs which require high-level thinking are also currently performed better by humans than AI, and artificial intelligence is also not great at creating new things, so is unlikely to invent a new science at its current level.

Manual jobs such as janitors are "probably really safe", Abrahami predicts, as it requires a lot of handwork which robots are far from able to adequately recreate.

He also believes that jobs in which humans can bring something that's "completely unexpected" will be the areas where they're safe from replacement.

As for jobs that will likely be at risk, Abrahami believes cab drivers, including those for ride-share apps as well as truck drivers, will be at risk with the rise of self-driving car services such as Waymo and Tesla's robotaxi service.

Self-driving vehicles like Waymo taxis could soon replace drivers. Credit: Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images

He also believes that customer service and call center roles will also be affected, potentially among the first industries to be lost to AI.

Tech jobs such as software developers and analysts are already being reshaped by AI, with a Google Cloud report from September finding that 90% of software professionals had already adopted AI into their workflow.

It's not all bad news, however, as the rise of AI has also helped to create some jobs which did not exist before.

One example is Wix's xEngineer role, described as a "design-first engineer with deep domain expertise who uses AI as a key part of every workflow", in which a specialist's job will be "amplified" by AI.

Given it's still such early days, there will likely be more previously non-existent roles to come across different sectors for those who are able to harness AI.

Featured image credit: ArtistGNDphotography/Getty Images

As concerns around artificial intelligence continue to grow, Microsoft has released new research examining which jobs may be most vulnerable to automation, and which careers are likely to remain safe from being replaced by AI.

Gone are the days when dystopian futures were merely a distant, intangible prospect. Where robots were the face of such a movement, as they interacted with humans and their automated subservience replaced the human workforce in factories.

Now, AI has taken on a new identity — a faceless droid, with infinite intelligence and infinite resources, and it's reportedly being lined up for jobs we'd have thought were safe from its grasp.

What has been indicated in the report from Microsoft?

The report has reignited fears that machines could eventually overtake human workers across multiple industries.

While supporters of AI point to benefits like increased efficiency and innovation, critics continue to warn about mass job losses and even long-term dystopian risks to the world population.

The debate has already been fueled by comments from Bill Gates, who previously suggested that only a handful of professions may survive the transition to AI automation.

AI could take millions of jobs. Credit: NurPhoto / Getty

Now, Microsoft Research has published a study ranking occupations based on an “AI applicability score,” which measures how closely current jobs align with the capabilities of systems like OpenAI’s ChatGPT.

According to the study, careers involving communication, analysis, and content creation appear to be among the most exposed to automation.

Roles listed as being at higher risk include customer service representatives, writers, editors, journalists, translators, market research analysts, web developers, and public relations specialists.

The report also flagged jobs such as telemarketers, travel clerks, radio DJs, financial advisors, and data scientists as potentially vulnerable.

Despite the alarming headlines, Microsoft researcher Kiran Tomlinson argued the study should not be interpreted as proof these jobs will disappear entirely.

“Our study explores which job categories can productively use AI chatbots,” Tomlinson explained. “It highlights where AI might change how work is done, not take away or replace jobs.”

The jobs the study cited were most at risk of being replaced by AI were:

1. Customer Service Representatives
2. Sales Representatives of Services
3. Market Research Analysts
4. Management Analysts
5. Data Scientists
6. Public Relations Specialists
7. Technical Writers
8. Editors
9. Writers and Authors
10. News Analysts / Reporters / Journalists
11. Interpreters and Translators
12. Proofreaders and Copy Markers
13. Web Developers
14. Public Safety Telecommunicators
15. Business Teachers, Postsecondary
16. Economics Teachers, Postsecondary
17. Library Science Teachers, Postsecondary
18. Political Scientists
19. Historians
20. Mathematicians
21. Statistical Assistants
22. Demonstrators & Product Promoters
23. Models
24. Hosts and Hostesses
25. Concierges
26. Advertising Sales Agents
27. New Accounts Clerks
28. Counter and Rental Clerks
29. Telephone Operators
30. Ticket Agents and Travel Clerks
31. Broadcast Announcers & Radio DJs
32. Brokerage Clerks
33. Farm & Home Management Educators
34. Telemarketers
35. Personal Financial Advisors
36. Interpreters / Translators (duplicate reference in original)

Which jobs could remain safe from AI?

The research also identified careers viewed as the most resistant to AI disruption, largely roles requiring physical labor, hands-on work, or operating machinery.

Among the jobs Microsoft considers relatively “safe” are roofers, construction laborers, janitors, landscapers, highway maintenance workers, oil and gas drill operators, cooks, dishwashers, and tire repairers.

The findings echo comments made by Geoffrey Hinton, often referred to as the “Godfather of AI”, who has previously argued that skilled manual trades such as plumbing are among the safest professions in an AI-driven future.

Still, Microsoft warned readers not to treat the research as a definitive prediction about mass unemployment.

“It is tempting to conclude that occupations with high overlap will experience job loss,” the company stated. “This would be a mistake, as our data do not include the downstream business impacts of new technology, which are very hard to predict.”

The company compared the rise of AI to the introduction of ATMs in banking. While cash machines changed many responsibilities traditionally handled by bank tellers, Microsoft argued that teller jobs ultimately increased because employees shifted toward more customer-focused work.

Under CEO Satya Nadella, Microsoft has continued aggressively investing in artificial intelligence, despite criticism over workforce reductions. The company recently cut around 9,000 jobs while simultaneously pledging roughly $80 billion toward AI development and infrastructure.

Not everyone is convinced the shift will benefit society long-term. While AI advocates argue automation could give people more leisure time and freedom, critics continue to question how workers displaced by machines will earn a living in the future.

The jobs cited in the study as least at risk of being replaced by AI were:

1. Automotive Glass Installers and Repairers
2. Bridge and Lock Tenders
3. Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers
4. Cleaners of Vehicles and Equipment
5. Commercial Divers
6. Construction Laborers
7. Continuous Mining Machine Operators
8. Cooks, Short Order
9. Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas
10. Dishwashers
11. Dredge Operators
12. Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers
13. Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas
14. Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators
15. Fallers (logging)
16. Fence Erectors
17. Floor Sanders and Finishers
18. Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders
19. Forest and Conservation Workers
20. Graders and Sorters, Agricultural Products
21. Highway Maintenance Workers
22. Insulation Workers, Mechanical
23. Janitors and Cleaners
24. Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers
25. Logging Equipment Operators
26. Mine Cutting and Channeling Machine Operators
27. Oil and Gas Rotary Drill Operators
28. Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders
29. Painters, Construction and Maintenance
30. Parking Lot Attendants
31. Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators
32. Pest Control Workers
33. Phlebotomists
34. Plasterers and Stucco Masons
35. Pourers and Casters, Metal
36. Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors
37. Roofers
38. Roustabouts, Oil and Gas
39. Structural Iron and Steel Workers
40. Tire Repairers and Changers

Featured Image. Credit: NurPhoto / Getty