Tech: Bill Gates reveals what he'd study if he were a college freshman today

The future is destined to rely on renewable sources of energy and artificial intelligence. Bill Gates says both are viable fields to pursue.

Take notice, incoming college freshmen — the richest person in the world has some advice for what you should study.

In a Twitter thread posted May 15, Microsoft cofounder Bill Gates said if he had to do college all over again he'd major in artificial intelligence, energy, or biosciences.

He called them all "promising fields where you can make a huge impact."

Experts in technology and economics generally agree that the next 20 years will see profound changes in the way companies use AI to automate their factories, construction sites, and retail locations.

Powering those systems will be largely untapped sources of renewable energy, like solar and wind power. Gates himself predicted humanity will see an "energy miracle" within the next 15 years.

All the while, the US biotech market is growing at impressive rates, particularly as private firms race to develop smarter drugs and treatment options for antibiotic-resistance bacteria.

Gates' advice to pursue one (or more) of these three fields comes from personal experience.

As co-chair of the Gates Foundation, he's seen firsthand how much progress the world has made in automating its most menial jobs, eradicating disease, and bringing alternative energy sources to the world's poorest regions.

Even bright-eyed 18-year-olds should take notice, he says.

"You know more than I did when I was your age," he wrote in the Twitter thread. "You can start fighting inequity, whether down the street or around the world, sooner."

The future is destined to rely on renewable sources of energy and artificial intelligence. Bill Gates says both are viable fields to pursue. Read Full Story