Bill Gates warned of the threat of AI capable of causing a billion deaths
Kyiv • UNN
Bill Gates called on governments to regulate AI through legislation because of the risk of abuse. He considers self-regulation by technology companies insufficient.
Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates stated that artificial intelligence is powerful enough to contribute to events that could result in the deaths of a billion people. UNN reports this with reference to Axios and Forbes.
He called for statutory regulation of the technology, emphasizing that companies’ self-regulation is insufficient.
Details
In a conversation with television host Kristen Welker, Gates drew attention to the danger of people with malicious intentions using the latest artificial intelligence tools.
"AI is certainly powerful enough to lead to events that, you know, will cause a billion deaths," he said.
According to the Microsoft co-founder, the combination of modern AI’s capabilities and people’s malicious intentions creates an unprecedented threat. Gates also spoke in favor of the government’s involvement in establishing rules for artificial intelligence developers. In his view, policymakers and law enforcement agencies should participate in determining mandatory protective and monitoring measures.
He emphasized that voluntary restrictions imposed by technology companies themselves are insufficient. When asked whether appropriate legislation was needed, Gates answered in the affirmative.
Context
In August, Gates published an essay on his website about the risks of artificial intelligence development. Among the threats, he listed job losses, the spread of fraud and disinformation, the facilitation of cyberattacks, and growing bioterrorism risks. He also warned that the technology could exacerbate inequality if its benefits were concentrated in the hands of a limited number of people.
At the same time, the Gates Foundation announced its intention to direct at least $1 billion over two years toward expanding access to AI. The funds are intended for projects in education, healthcare, agriculture, and digital infrastructure development.
Reminder
The heads of leading AI companies warned the UN about the risks of artificial intelligence to humanity.