Bill Gates said AI could enable events causing a billion deaths and urged federal rules requiring government monitoring and enforcement. He warned malicious actors could cause widespread harm now, but did not predict an imminent civilization-ending catastrophe.
The remarks came in Gates' NBC News Meet the Press interview, scheduled to air Sunday; excerpts were released Friday. In an August essay on his website, he listed risks including widespread, permanent job losses; AI lowering barriers to cyberattacks and dangerous pathogen design; and harm to children's development and human relationships. He also warned that AI-enabled attacks on hospitals, power grids and financial systems pose immediate risks, with the resources needed to launch them falling.
Gates' call comes amid a debate over AI oversight. House Speaker Mike Johnson resisted calls to reconvene the House for AI legislation, saying he would leave the issue to industry. California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an order creating an expert panel to bolster the state's AI safety framework; Maryland and New York governors also unveiled regulatory proposals that week.
