BILLIONAIRE ON PHILOSOPHERS

Mark Cuban / wework.com

Mark Cuban is an American entrepreneur whose net worth is estimated at $3 billion. He owns the Landmark Theatres cinema chain and runs the television providers HDNet and HDTV cable network. Cuban also owns the Dallas Mavericks basketball team. Rumor has it that he may run for President of the United States in 2020.

The American billionaire argues that philosophers will become more sought-after employees and will be paid more than programmers. And this, he says, will happen within the next 10–15 years. Cuban believes that many jobs that are currently profitable and popular can be automated. Programming, for example, is one of them. If Cuban’s prediction is correct, technology will transform the world so dramatically that philosophers will be needed to help implement innovation. This will happen because artificial intelligence will completely change the way we approach work and education. The future, he believes, belongs to those capable of thinking on a broad scale — a skill developed through the study of philosophy and the humanities. The editors have selected some of the entrepreneur’s most original statements.

ON TECHNOLOGY

“Artificial intelligence is now reaching the point where we are beginning to automate automation itself. Soon, AI will not need either you or me. Over the next 10–15 years, it will figure out for itself how to automate tasks. Technology will become so intelligent that it will be able to program itself”.

ON EDUCATION

“In 10 years, a PhD in the humanities will be valued far more highly than a traditional degree in programming. So an education in computer science may turn out not to be the best investment”.

ON THINKING

“The ability to think critically and evaluate information from a global perspective will become more important than what is considered an exciting career today, such as programming”. Despite his enthusiasm for philosophy, Cuban actively invests in the development of artificial intelligence together with Microsoft and Walmart. He also announced that he would invest $1 million in a social startup working to protect civilians in Syria.

Technology will become so intelligent that it will be able to program itself.

Hala Systems is developing an early-warning system that alerts civilians to the possibility of an airstrike. To predict and detect dangerous objects, the system uses a combination of artificial intelligence, remote sensing, and the Internet of Things (IoT). The product, called Sentry Syria, gives people 7–10 minutes to take shelter from bombs and can reduce fatalities by 20–30%. Sentry can be accessed via mobile phones. “Hala is saving lives in places where doing so is almost impossible”, Mark Cuban says. “It is an example of how artificial intelligence can be used for social good”.