Bill Gates Advice: CEO Tells Freshmen Humanity Is Getting Better

If you can’t personally see Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates give a commencement speech, you can check out the advice he dispensed in a series of tweets aimed at incoming freshmen Monday.
The philanthropist revealed the fields he would study if he was enrolling in college now.
“AI [artificial intelligence], energy and biosciences are promising fields where you can make a huge impact. It's what I would do if starting out today,” Gates said.
Artificial intelligence is not a surpise since Gates has previously has talked about AI, especially robots. In February, Gates suggested robots should get taxed just like humans. He said the tax system on automated labor should mirror what the government does in taxing a person's wages to fund social programs.
“Right now if a human worker does you know, $50,000 worth of work in a factory, that income is taxed,” Gates told Quartz. “If a robot comes in to do the same thing, you’d think we would tax the robot at a similar level.”
Bill Gate’s Big Regret
Gates, who started the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation along with his wife, also talked about his “one big regret.”
“I also have one big regret: When I left school, I knew little about the world’s worst inequities. Took me decades to learn,” Gates tweeted.
The couple launched the foundation in 2000. Since then, the organization has worked to help people dealing with hunger and poverty. The foundation also works to advance science and technology in developing countries, plus other projects.
Gates added he is optimistic about the younger generation.
“You know more than I did when I was your age,” he said. “You can start fighting inequity, whether down the street or around the world, sooner.”
Gate’s Believes the World is Getting Better
Gates also recommended a book by Harvard cognitive scientist Steven Pinker “Better Angels of Our Nature,” which explains why violence has declined.
“@SAPinker shows how the world is getting better,” Gates said. "Sounds crazy, but it’s true. This is the most peaceful time in human history.”
Gates said knowing the world is getting better will make you want to “spread the progress to more people and places.”
“This is an amazing time to be alive. I hope you make the most of it,” Gates said ending his advice tweet series.
Here’s the full thread of Gate’s advice:
1/ New college grads often ask me for career advice. At the risk of sounding like this guy…https://t.co/C68mjJ5g44
— Bill Gates (@BillGates) May 15, 2017
2/ AI, energy, and biosciences are promising fields where you can make a huge impact. It's what I would do if starting out today.
— Bill Gates (@BillGates) May 15, 2017
3/ Looking back on when I left college, there are some things I wish I had known.
— Bill Gates (@BillGates) May 15, 2017
4/ E.g. Intelligence takes many different forms. It is not one-dimensional. And not as important as I used to think.
— Bill Gates (@BillGates) May 15, 2017
5/ I also have one big regret: When I left school, I knew little about the world’s worst inequities. Took me decades to learn.
— Bill Gates (@BillGates) May 15, 2017
6/ You know more than I did when I was your age. You can start fighting inequity, whether down the street or around the world, sooner.
— Bill Gates (@BillGates) May 15, 2017
7/ Meanwhile, surround yourself with people who challenge you, teach you, and push you to be your best self. As @MelindaGates does for me.
— Bill Gates (@BillGates) May 15, 2017
8/ Like @WarrenBuffett I measure my happiness by whether people close to me are happy and love me, & by the difference I make for others.
— Bill Gates (@BillGates) May 15, 2017
9/ If I could give each of you a graduation present, it would be this--the most inspiring book I've ever read. pic.twitter.com/P67BuvpELJ
— Bill Gates (@BillGates) May 15, 2017
10/ @SAPinker shows how the world is getting better. Sounds crazy, but it’s true. This is the most peaceful time in human history.
— Bill Gates (@BillGates) May 15, 2017
11/ That matters because if you think the world is getting better, you want to spread the progress to more people and places.
— Bill Gates (@BillGates) May 15, 2017
12/ It doesn’t mean you ignore the serious problems we face. It just means you believe they can be solved.
— Bill Gates (@BillGates) May 15, 2017
13/ This is the core of my worldview. It sustains me in tough times and is the reason I love my work. I think it can do same for you.
— Bill Gates (@BillGates) May 15, 2017
14/ This is an amazing time to be alive. I hope you make the most of it.
— Bill Gates (@BillGates) May 15, 2017
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