AI may wipe out some of today’s most tedious tasks, but that doesn’t necessarily mean workers will rack up more PTO, according to Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang.
Instead, the $156 billion CEO of the chipmaking giant says the technology will unleash a wave of new ideas and unfinished projects—leaving people busier, not freer, as “everybody’s jobs will be different.”
“If your life becomes more productive and if the things that you’re doing with great difficulty become simpler, it is very likely because you have so many ideas you’ll have more time to pursue things,” Huang said alongside Tesla CEO Elon Musk in the U.S.-Saudi Investment Forum in Washington, D.C this week.
Musk, for his part, predicted work would be optional in the future, comparing jobs to sports or video games. “If you want to work, you know, in the same way, you can go to the store and just buy some vegetables or you could grow vegetables in your backyard,” he said.
Huang pointed to AI driven radiology as an example
Huang, on the other hand, argued that productivity gains won’t erase work—they will create more of it.
“I would say that there’s every evidence that we will be more productive and yet still be busier because we have so many ideas,” he said. “It is my guess that Elon will be busier as a result of AI. I’m going to be busier as a result of AI.”
Huang alluded to companies embracing AI-driven radiology as an example. As AI made image analysis more efficient for workers, it left them more time to read more scans, handle more images, and spend time with patients. Huang said that translated into job growth.
“The prediction that all radiologists would be the first jobs to go was exactly the opposite,” he said.
The future of work for Gen Z
Nvidia, who just reported record revenue during its earnings call this week, has been at the center of the AI boom. With younger workers worried about AI taking over the entry-level jobs they need to launch their careers, Huang’s insight gives workers a read on what the future of work may look like. According to the World Economic Forum, AI is expected to displace 92 million jobs, but it will also create 170 million new roles.
Despite his optimism, recent college graduates are still struggling to break into the job market as AI negates the need for many entry-level roles, and are even shielding against the threat of AI through higher degrees, like MBAs or law school. It’s not the first time Huang elaborated on AI’s productivity advantage for workers. Previously, the CEO said workers shouldn’t fear AI taking their jobs; rather, they should be worried about losing their jobs to someone who knows how to use AI.