AGI Pioneer Ben Goertzel Warns of 'Job Apocalypse' in 2-3 Years

Ben Goertzel, the computer scientist who famously coined the term "Artificial General Intelligence" (AGI), has a warning for the global workforce: a "job apocalypse" is looming, and it is arriving much faster than previously anticipated.

Goertzel, often called the "Father of AGI," believes that AI capable of matching human intelligence is only two to three years away, and once it does it will also render the vast majority of current professions obsolete. However, he says people can do things to be AI-safe.

According to a report in Forbes, Goertzel noted that the AI revolution is hitting the workforce, and office-based professionals, such as lawyers and graphic artists, are feeling the heat first. He said that roles that require a physical "human touch" or complex manual navigation, such as plumbers, electricians and educators, are expected to remain relevant much longer than white-collar desk jobs.

To stay relevant during this transition, Goertzel suggests that workers stop focusing on technical tasks that a computer can do better and start honing these three deeply human traits.

The first is emotional intelligence. Since super-intelligence takes over the "thinking" work, the only thing left for humans will be each other, hence, emotional intelligence, rapport-building and active listening will become the ultimate currency. In a world flooded with "AI slop" resumes and automated recruiters, the ability to build a genuine human relationship or secure a personal referral will be the only way to bypass the digital gatekeepers.

The second is to pivot rapidly. "You need to be able to pivot rapidly and tap dance really fast," Goertzel was quoted as saying. The era of a "career for life" is dead, and to survive, workers must be agile, learning new skills every month. If your job can be done by a computer such as traditional accounting, Goertzel suggests being ready to switch to "human-critical" fields.

Finally, the need to decouple identity from labor. Many people define themselves by their jobs, but in an era where AGI can do that work, humans must learn to be "comfortable with themselves" in the moments of stillness. He said that it's not a matter of, "What jobs will stick around?"; It's more a matter of, "What's the kind of person you will become in this new era?"