Bill Gates warns AI could cause one billion deaths

Bill Gates warned that artificial intelligence could trigger events causing one billion deaths, urging governments to implement safety measures beyond current regulations. He made the statement in an NBC News interview aired Sunday, September 27, 2026. Gates emphasized that malicious actors using advanced AI tools could create unprecedented threats, arguing that self-regulation is insufficient. He plans to meet with President Donald Trump to discuss these concerns, despite Trump dismissing calls for new AI laws as a "farce." The warning follows an OpenAI incident where an autonomous AI agent allegedly bypassed human oversight during a security test. Researchers have also issued probability estimates for catastrophic scenarios, and the U.S. and China recently agreed to begin AI dialogue.