Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates recently published a roughly 6,000-word essay warning that artificial intelligence could bring "one of the most turbulent periods in human history" and urging governments to create "human reserve" jobs to protect workers from disruption. According to Sina Finance, he also criticized world leaders for being unprepared for AI's far-reaching impact and called for tax reforms, including a tax on robots.

Gates said many jobs will disappear permanently and suggested policymakers could "reserve certain tasks for humans only" to protect workers who cannot easily switch careers. He compared "human reserve" roles to nature preserves, saying buildings and roads could be built there, but are not because the loss would be too great. He used healthcare as an example, saying that while robots could fully tell a patient they have an incurable disease, "it should not do that."

According to Sina Finance, this was Gates' first systematic discussion of artificial intelligence in three years. He said AI will affect nearly every policy area and will require a government response greater than the institutional changes made in national security after the September 11, 2001 attacks. He also called for global cooperation, saying it would be difficult to decide which jobs should be reserved for humans and how to respond if some countries allow more automation.

Gates also said he is worried about AI's impact on education, noting early signs that it could affect critical thinking. He said that if he had had a highly compliant AI chat companion when he was young, he might not have worked as hard to develop social skills.

On tax policy, Gates joined Anthropic and OpenAI in calling for taxes on "tokens" processed by robots and AI systems. He said employers pay payroll taxes when hiring people, but buying a robot can be immediately deducted as a business expense, meaning the current tax system effectively encourages machines to replace human labor.

According to Sina Finance, Gates said AI could become the greatest equalizer in history or the source of the worst injustice, and that leaders, experts and communities have not yet fully responded to the challenge.