Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has predicted that artificial intelligence will replace doctors, teachers, and other professionals by 2035. He has stated that “great medical advice and great tutoring” will become free and commonplace as AI advances to handle specialised human skills.
His comments, made across several interviews and public appearances in early 2025, paints a picture of a world entering the “free intelligence” era—a time when expert-level knowledge and services become universally accessible, often at little or no cost, thanks to AI.
End of Scarcity in Expertise
Gates has argued that professions long considered immune to automation, such as doctors and teachers, will be among the first to see their roles transformed or even replaced by AI. He predicts that within a decade, AI will provide “great medical advice” and “great tutoring” for free, making expertise that is currently rare and expensive available to everyone. This shift, he says, will address chronic shortages of skilled professionals in fields like healthcare and education, especially in countries such as India and across Africa, where access remains a major challenge.
But Gates’ vision extends far beyond these two professions. He foresees AI taking over roles in factories, construction, hospitality, and even some blue-collar and manual jobs as robotics technology matures. As AI systems become more capable, they will handle tasks in logistics, manufacturing, transportation, and agriculture—sectors that employ millions worldwide
Shift in Work, Purpose, and Society
Bill Gates’ predictions are not limited to technological transformation; they also call for a societal rethink. He suggests that as AI takes over more tasks, the traditional concept of work will need to be redefined. With AI driving productivity and automating routine and even complex tasks, Gates envisions a future where shorter workweeks, early retirement, and more leisure time become the norm. He has even floated the idea of a “post-labour world,” where jobs are no longer the central organising principle of life.
“Jobs are an artefact of the shortage… it’s hard to reprogramme your brain to imagine a future without that,” Gates said, suggesting that societies will need to redefine purpose and productivity in a post-scarcity world.
This transition, Gates acknowledges, is both exciting and unsettling. He notes that while AI could lead to “deflationary abundance”—a scenario where goods and services become much cheaper—there are also risks of economic disruption, job displacement, and increased inequality if the gains are not shared widely. Gates has advocated for policies such as universal basic income, reduced work hours, and new frameworks for wealth distribution to address these challenges.
What Jobs Will Survive—and What Will Change?
Despite his bold predictions, Gates does not believe AI will replace every human activity. He points out that roles demanding creativity, emotional intelligence, complex problem-solving, and genuine human connection—such as therapists, artists, and caregivers—will likely endure, at least for the foreseeable future. Coding, energy, and biology are also cited as fields where human expertise will remain valuable, though even these will be transformed by AI.
Gates also warns of the dangers associated with rapid AI adoption, including misinformation, bias, and the concentration of power among a few large technology companies. He encourages young innovators to steer AI development in human-centred directions and sees open-source AI and global collaboration as ways to democratise its benefits.
The Path Forward
Bill Gates’ vision is both a call to action and a warning. The “free intelligence” era promises to democratise access to knowledge and services, potentially lifting millions out of scarcity and transforming how we live and work. Yet, it also demands that societies rethink the meaning of work, purpose, and economic security in a world where human labour is no longer essential “for most things”. As Gates himself admits, “It’s quite significant and somewhat intimidating—given its rapid pace and the lack of limits”.
How humanity navigates this transition—balancing innovation with inclusion, and progress with purpose—will define the legacy of the AI revolution.
