Bill Gates Warns AI Could Trigger Billion Deaths

WASHINGTON: (News Desk) – Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has warned that artificial intelligence has become powerful enough to potentially contribute to events resulting in the deaths of a billion people, while calling for stronger government regulation of the technology.

Speaking to TV host Kristen Welker, Gates said advanced AI tools could pose serious risks if they fell into the hands of people with harmful intentions. He argued that governments should play a role in establishing safety and oversight requirements for AI developers.

Gates also rejected the idea that technology companies should be left to regulate themselves. When asked whether laws were needed to govern AI, he said they were necessary.

He said the combination of increasingly capable AI systems and malicious actors represented a new and serious threat, requiring lawmakers and law enforcement agencies to help determine appropriate safeguards and monitoring measures.

In an essay published on his website in August, Gates highlighted several potential risks associated with AI, including job losses, increased fraud and disinformation, easier cyberattacks and a greater risk of bioterrorism. He also warned that concentration of AI technology in the hands of a small number of people could widen inequality.

Meanwhile, the Gates Foundation has announced plans to invest at least $1 billion over two years to expand access to AI. The funding is expected to support initiatives in education, healthcare, agriculture and digital infrastructure.

Leaders of major AI companies have also warned the United Nations about the potential risks that increasingly advanced artificial intelligence could pose to humanity.