Bill Gates warns AI could kill one billion people

Bill Gates will warn on NBC's "Meet the Press" this Sunday that AI could cause events leading to the death of one billion people, according to excerpts released Friday. He calls it a powerful weapon when combined with malicious human intent. Gates, a longtime tech optimist, has increasingly raised alarms about AI risks. He argues no previous weapon matches the potential of advanced AI tools used by bad actors, urging governments to cooperate now to prevent catastrophic outcomes. In August, Gates published a memo calling AI a technology with greater consequences than almost any other in history. He warned it could be either the greatest equalizer ever invented or the worst source of injustice, with current trends likely negative.