Bill Gates urges U.S. to mandate AI safeguards after warning of potential catastrophe

Bill Gates warned that unregulated AI development could cause a billion deaths, urging the U.S. government to implement mandatory safeguards and monitoring for the technology. In an interview on NBC News' Meet the Press, Gates said self-regulation is insufficient and that law enforcement and politicians must be involved in setting required safety standards. He argued that ill-intentioned people using advanced AI tools could create a weapon more powerful than any previously seen. California Governor Gavin Newsom recently signed an executive order to fast-track AI oversight, including safety plans and an emergency "kill switch" for frontier models. In contrast, President Trump has dismissed AI concerns as a "hoax," asserting existing regulatory powers are sufficient.