Bill Gates warned that people with malicious intent could use AI to drive events causing a billion deaths, and urged law enforcement and politicians to help define safeguards and monitoring. He made the remarks in an NBC interview scheduled to air Sept. 27.
In 2023, Gates described AI’s development as fundamental as the microprocessor, personal computer, internet and mobile phone, and said past experience gave reason to believe its risks could be managed. By August 2026, he said AI’s current course and speed carried a very high chance of a net-negative outcome, according to Axios.
Less than two weeks before the NBC excerpts appeared, the Gates Foundation committed at least $1 billion over two years to AI tools for health care, education, agriculture and language data. It plans to direct 40% to education and 40% to health. The European Commission can fine providers of the most powerful general-purpose models up to 3% of global annual turnover; the article says no such action had been taken against a model provider.
