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Bill Gates calls for a tax on AI job replacement

In a 6,000-word memo, Gates said the odds of a net negative outcome from the AI transition are very high and proposed a “token tax” to fund workers displaced by automation.

Reported · Written up by our desk · Trade & Tariffs

Bill Gates warned that artificial intelligence could become either a major equalizer or a source of deep injustice, in a 6,000-word memo published Wednesday, according to CNBC Markets.

Gates argued that AI systems, no matter how capable, cannot replace the “irreplaceably human” aspects of caregiving, citing his family experience with dementia care and noting his father received 24/7 help before dying of Alzheimer’s in 2020.

He proposed a “token tax” to make it more expensive for companies to replace employees with AI tools or agents, with the funds intended to support people who lose their jobs.

Gates also said the odds of a net negative outcome from the AI transition are very high, and he cautioned that society should not automate simply because it is technologically possible, with disruption expected across multiple sectors.

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