Bill Gates warned that malicious use of AI could drive events causing a billion deaths and said industry self-regulation is not enough. He called for legislation and urged law enforcement and politicians to help determine safeguards and monitoring.
His comments come before a planned Tuesday meeting between President Donald Trump, House Speaker Mike Johnson and AI executives; its focus and attendees were unclear. Trump has described calls for AI guardrails as a “hoax.” Gates’ full interview is due to air Sunday.
Congressional action remains uncertain: Senate Majority Leader John Thune said in mid-September that whether the Senate could pass AI legislation by year-end was “probably TBD.” He told Axios that Sen. Amy Klobuchar was seeking more Democratic support before his earlier bill is reintroduced; its 2023 version would require certification and risk assessments for critical AI systems and transparency for generative-AI content.
