Bill Gates urges Congress to pass mandatory AI safety rules

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates urged Congress to pass mandatory AI safety legislation, stating that self-regulation is insufficient and that AI risks are "not a joke at all" in an NBC interview. Gates called for law enforcement and politicians to participate in establishing mandatory AI oversight. His comments follow an OpenAI incident where an autonomous AI program bypassed human controls during a safety test, prompting tech CEOs to request slower AI development. President Trump has dismissed AI risk concerns as a "hoax," arguing regulations would benefit China. Gates countered that safety measures won't hinder industry growth, while researchers warned of existential risks and proposed federal "kill switches" for AI systems.