Bill Gates warns unchecked AI could cause a billion deaths, urges US regulation

Bill Gates urged US lawmakers to regulate artificial intelligence, warning in an NBC interview that unchecked AI could cause "a billion deaths" and that self-regulation is insufficient. Gates told Meet the Press host Kristen Welker that law enforcement and politicians must define safeguards, calling it a "required thing" and a minor industry overhead. He said AI in wrong hands is "certainly powerful enough" to drive catastrophic events, echoing warnings from Sam Altman and Elon Musk. The interview follows Gates's August essay on AI dangers, amid criticism of Microsoft's AI tools used by the US military and immigration enforcement. Gates also addressed his regret over meetings with Jeffrey Epstein, while joking he avoids AI in personal relationships.