Bill Gates Warns AI Could Enable Catastrophic Harm on Massive Scale

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has raised fresh concerns over the potential risks associated with increasingly powerful artificial intelligence. In an excerpt from an NBC News interview, Gates said AI is powerful enough to drive events that could potentially result in a billion deaths. He stressed that his concern is particularly about the possibility of people with harmful intentions using advanced AI tools to cause large-scale damage.

Gates also argued that leaving AI companies to regulate themselves would not be sufficient. He said lawmakers, governments and law enforcement agencies should participate in determining the safeguards and monitoring requirements for advanced AI systems, with such measures becoming mandatory. His comments come amid a broader international debate over AI safety, regulation, cybersecurity and the potential misuse of increasingly capable systems.