Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates warned that artificial intelligence could potentially cause events resulting in the deaths of up to 1 billion people if the technology falls into the wrong hands, while calling for greater government oversight.
During an interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Gates said AI could be misused by people with malicious intentions to develop dangerous weapons or biological threats.
“AI is certainly powerful enough to drive events that cause a billion deaths,” Gates said.
He added that there has never been a weapon as powerful as the combination of people with harmful intentions and advanced AI tools.
Gates said stronger safeguards are needed to distinguish legitimate uses of AI, such as developing new medicines, from potential applications in bioterrorism.
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Gates calls for government oversight
Gates argued that government regulation would not necessarily prevent the United States from competing in the global AI race.
“You’ll hear from the industry, ‘It’s a very doable thing.’ It would not slow them down dramatically,” he said.
His comments come as technology leaders continue to debate how quickly AI development should proceed and what safeguards should be required.
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Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman have previously expressed concerns about potential risks associated with advanced AI, while other technology executives and AI proponents have pushed back against what they consider excessive warnings about the technology.
The debate remains focused on how governments and companies can manage potential risks while allowing AI development and its potential benefits to continue.
