Bill Gates says coding matters, even in an AI world
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Bill Gates and Paul Allen (seated) at a teletype during their days at Lakeside School. Photo: Lakeside School
Just because AI-powered computers are getting really good at coding doesn't mean humans don't need the skill, Bill Gates tells Axios.
Why it matters: In an interview with Axios, Gates made the case that math and coding skills help people understand how AI works.
The big picture: "It's kind of like saying, should you learn to multiply, just because computers are really good at it," Gates said, as part of a wide-ranging interview ahead of the launch Tuesday of his book "Source Code."
- "If you want to understand what multiplication is or how numbers work, you've got to play around with them a lot, even though for some of the specifics, you'll just let the computer do it," Gates said.
- Gates says the key to understanding AI is understanding math.
- "I feel sorry for programmers who never had a mathematical background. ... I've always believed you need to understand what's underlying quite well, even if things can help out automatically."
- "Now, if AI ever gets infinitely smart, OK, then it's utterly confusing what you should do, but knowing the innards of the AI helps you understand why it's so crazy smart sometimes and so crazy stupid other times," he added.
Between the lines: AI will put pressure on traditional means for assessing educational progress, but Gates argues there are ways to measure learning even when students use AI chatbots as part of their work.
- "Sal Khan writes in his book about how what you should turn in is not the final paper, but rather the log of the session with the AI, so the teacher can literally say to the AI, 'OK, how much did the student do?'" Gates said.
- "Then, of course, you're going to have to test people without access to the computer as well," Gates said.
Yes, but: Gates says banning AI in schools would be both futile and counterproductive for producing the next generation of workers "given that [in] the job they'll eventually do, AI will be available to them."
Go deeper: Bill Gates, on realizing he is probably on the autism spectrum
