Former Google exec: AI will replace 40 percent of jobs in 15 years

But in his most recent book, "AI Superpowers: China, Silicon Valley, and the New World Order," Lee argues that AI displacement will be fundamentally different. In a November interview with Futurism, Lee explained that AI will allow entire new industries to be built from the ground up with automation in mind -- not only will AI prove cheaper than human employees, but many of the new jobs it creates will be automated as well. Lee told CBS that this wave of automation and worker displacement will happen much more quickly than others, such as the invention and distribution of the steam engine. Part of that is because AI algorithms can be shared around the world among developers and business leaders with little need for new infrastructure. No railroads or highways or power grids need to be built.