Gabe Newell, the billionaire founder of Valve and a seasoned veteran of the video game industry, has shared his insightful perspective on the pivotal role artificial intelligence is poised to play in the technological landscape of the future.
In an interview conducted with Zalkar Saliev from his yacht, Newell asserted that it is “incredibly obvious” that machine learning and AI systems will “profoundly impact pretty much every single business.” He posited that humanity is on the cusp of a technological transition as significant as the advent of the computer and the internet.
“If I had to pinpoint a technological shift to get ahead of, it would be figuring out how to use AI to improve anything,” Newell explained. He advised professionals across all fields—accountants, attorneys, and programmers—to acquire AI literacy and familiarity with related tools and concepts, calling this a “super obvious” necessity.
Newell drew parallels to the internet`s early days, noting how individuals and companies who swiftly adapted to the new technology reaped substantial benefits. He anticipates a similar scenario unfolding with AI.
“With the internet, companies and individuals who recognized and capitalized on the opportunities to create more value surged ahead of everyone else,” Newell stated. “Therefore, AI will essentially serve as a `cheat code` for those willing to harness its power.”
Newell`s strong advocacy for AI comes as no surprise, given his involvement as a co-founder of Starfish, a neural network company comparable to Elon Musk`s Neuralink. Starfish`s research heavily relies on AI systems.
AI has long been a significant force in technology and video games, but its expansion is currently accelerating, driven by innovations like generative AI. Nvidia, a key supplier of the hardware that powers AI advancements, has been a major beneficiary of this trend, recently becoming the world`s most valuable company with a market capitalization exceeding $4 trillion.
While the exact impact of AI advancements on jobs across gaming and all other sectors remains to be fully seen, some concerns about job losses have been voiced. Notably, EA CEO Andrew Wilson acknowledged that AI will lead to job displacements but predicted an overall increase in hiring due to the creation of new roles.
In a related development, the recent video game voice actor strike concluded with AI protections being a crucial point of negotiation.