Google DeepMind co-founder Shane Legg has warned that AI could soon change how people work, earn money, and even justify their role in the economy. In a conversation with Professor Hannah Fry, Legg said that many remote, computer-based jobs could quietly disappear over the next decade because of AI. Legg believes human intelligence is not the final limit for machines. When asked if humans represent the maximum level of intelligence, he clearly disagreed. “I think absolutely not,” he said. He explained that AI systems run in massive data centres, use huge amounts of power, operate close to the speed of light, and process information at a scale no human brain can match.
Legg further added that AI’s current weaknesses like reasoning, visual understanding and learning over time are likely to disappear. “My expectation is over a number of years these things will all get addressed,” he said. As this happens, AI will move toward professional-level performance and beyond in areas like coding, maths and complex knowledge work.
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This progress puts remote jobs at particular risk. Legg shared a simple rule to understand which roles are most exposed: “If you can do the job remotely over the internet just using a computer, then that job is potentially at risk.” As AI becomes more capable, companies may not need large teams of people working online from different locations.
Software engineering could see some of the biggest changes. “In a few years, where prior you needed 100 software engineers, maybe you need 20, and those 20 use advanced AI tools,” he said. While productivity may rise, this also means fewer jobs, especially for beginners and remote workers.
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Legg further stressed that this shift will affect the entire economy. “The current system where people contribute their mental and physical labour in return for access to resources that may not work the same anymore,” he said.