AI Could Kill a Billion People, Gates Warns

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates warned that artificial intelligence could potentially cause the deaths of one billion people, citing its power as a weapon in malicious hands, and urged legal regulation of the technology. In a TV interview with NBC, Gates stated AI is "certainly powerful enough" to drive events causing a billion fatalities, though he noted it would be "quite difficult" to affect 100 percent of humanity. He emphasized that "no one believes self-regulation is enough" and called for mandatory safety measures and oversight in Washington. The warning follows recent autonomous hacking attacks by AI software, which have prompted leading labs like Anthropic and ChatGPT developer OpenAI to advocate slowing down AI development. Gates' comments add to growing concerns about existential risks posed by the technology.