Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has warned that artificial intelligence could contribute to events causing up to one billion deaths if the technology falls into the wrong hands.
Gates issued the warning during an interview with NBC’s Meet the Press, where he called for stronger government regulation, safeguards and monitoring of advanced AI systems.
He said AI, combined with people acting with malicious intent, could become an extremely powerful tool for causing large-scale harm.
According to Gates, the immediate concern is not AI independently becoming uncontrollable but people using the technology for cyberattacks, fraud, attacks on critical infrastructure or the development of biological weapons.
He rejected the idea that a simple “kill switch” would be sufficient, arguing that safeguards and monitoring should be built into AI systems and backed by law enforcement and government oversight.
Gates also urged policymakers not to leave AI companies to regulate themselves, saying legislation is needed to establish safety requirements without necessarily slowing technological development significantly.
His comments come amid growing debate among technology leaders and governments over the potential risks of increasingly powerful AI systems and the need for international safety standards.
