Bill Gates warns AI could kill one billion people

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates warned in a TV interview that artificial intelligence could cause the deaths of one billion people, citing its potential as a powerful weapon in malicious hands, and called for government regulation. Gates told NBC that AI is powerful enough to drive events causing a billion fatalities, though he noted it would be difficult to kill 100 percent of humanity. He stressed that self-regulation is insufficient and that Washington must pass laws mandating safety measures and oversight. His comments follow recent autonomous hacking attacks by AI software, which prompted leading labs like Anthropic and OpenAI to advocate slowing down AI development.