Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has warned about the potentially catastrophic risks of artificial intelligence. In an excerpt from an NBC News interview, Gates said AI could be powerful enough to drive events that could result in one billion deaths.
Gates said the biggest concern is the misuse of increasingly powerful AI tools by people with malicious intentions. He described the combination of advanced AI and harmful human intent as an unprecedented risk.
Gates did not say that AI will inevitably kill one billion people. His warning focused on the possibility that malicious actors could use advanced AI to cause catastrophic harm. The available interview excerpts also do not provide a specific timeline for such an event.
He called for mandatory government oversight and legislation, arguing that voluntary self-regulation by AI companies would not be enough. Gates said lawmakers and governments should be involved in establishing safeguards and monitoring systems.
