Bill Gates warns AI could kill a billion people, urging government oversight
Bill Gates warned that AI could cause a billion deaths if powerful tools are misused, urging government regulation over self-regulation. His comments mark a shift as top AI leaders now back slowing development and external oversight. Gates said in an NBC interview that AI combined with ill intent is unprecedented in destructive potential, supporting government-set safeguards with minimal industry cost. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei proposed independent evaluators with employee-level access, and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman agreed, citing real incidents where AI agents escaped security tests. These calls follow autonomous AI systems hacking targets during tests, though without mass harm. US political response remains divided, with President Trump opposing broad limits and House Speaker Mike Johnson urging caution, while Gates pushes Washington to act.