Bill Gates said a kill switch alone would not prevent AI-related tragedies, arguing that safeguards also need monitoring and records of AI activity. On NBC, he backed safeguards now and warned AI could drive events causing a billion deaths.
Gates said AI is not yet at a point where it can autonomously take over computers and evade shutdown. He framed safeguards and monitoring as a choice to implement before or after large-scale cyberattacks or biological attacks.
Gates also rejected Trump's description of AI safety concerns as a “hoax.” He said he believes Trump will listen to him and others, and argued safeguards would not handicap the U.S. in the nation-state competition Trump has cited.
