Google AI CEO Demis Hassabis On What He Would Study If He Were A Student Now

Artificial intelligence (AI) is turning the world upside down, and therefore, DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis advises young professionals and students to take it in stride instead of being scared of this transition.

Mr Hassabis suggested the students prioritise STEM courses and use AI tools to better prepare for the future job market.

He said that young professionals should embrace AI and get ready to work with it instead of resisting these technological advances.

During his speech at SXSW London, Mr Hassabis underlined the significance of comprehending the foundations of science and mathematics. He urged students to have practical experience with AI systems, predicting it would offer lucrative careers for technically capable individuals.

Mr Hassabis claimed that future generations will be "AI natives," similar to how the previous generation was with the internet.

Asked what he would study if he were a student today, he said he would still pursue STEM courses.

The Google AI CEO asserted that the ever-growing field of AI would "supercharge" individuals, and they must try them.

He suggested getting started with AI tools early and learning how they function as well as how to use them creatively. "I would be hacking around with those tools," Mr Hassabis said.

In the next five to ten years, AI will generate "new very valuable jobs," which will be particularly beneficial for "technically savvy people who are at the forefront of using these technologies," he said.

Despite widespread fears about job losses, he expressed confidence in human resilience and compared the influence of AI to that of the Industrial Revolution.

To grasp "how these systems are put together," it is "important to understand fundamentals" in disciplines such as computer science, physics, and mathematics, Mr Hassabis said.

Speaking at the Google I/O developer conference recently, Hassabis and Google cofounder Sergey Brin forecasted that artificial general intelligence (AGI) - the point at which AI approaches or exceeds human intelligence - will be attainable by 2030.

The Nobel Laureate's remark came at a time when several workplaces were already using AI to handle tasks like customer support, content creation, and coding.