Bill Gates warns AI could kill 1 billion people

Bill Gates warned that artificial intelligence could cause 1 billion deaths if used by malicious actors, calling for government regulation of the technology in a Friday interview. The Microsoft co-founder told NBC that AI is powerful enough to trigger events causing a billion deaths, stating no weapon has ever matched the combination of ill-intentioned people using the latest AI tools. He said self-regulation is insufficient and that law enforcement and politicians must define protective measures. The warning follows recent security incidents that led major AI companies, including OpenAI and Anthropic, to agree to slow development pace, according to the German news agency DPA.