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BILL GATES WARNS OF EXTREME AI RISKS, CALLS FOR GOVERNMENT REGULATION
Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has warned that artificial intelligence has reached a level of power that could enable catastrophic consequences if th...
By Wavers Multimedia
Gates made the remarks during an interview with Meet the Press, where he was asked about concerns from people in the artificial intelligence industry that increasingly advanced systems could eventually pose an existential danger to humanity.
He said AI was powerful enough to drive events that could result in the deaths of as many as one billion people if it were used by individuals with malicious intentions.
GATES CALLS FOR STRONGER GOVERNMENT OVERSIGHT
Gates argued that voluntary efforts by technology companies would not be sufficient to address the risks associated with increasingly powerful AI systems.
He said legislation was necessary and maintained that law enforcement agencies and politicians needed to be involved in determining the safeguards and monitoring mechanisms that should govern the technology.
His position places emphasis on government oversight rather than leaving AI companies to regulate their own activities.
CONCERNS OVER WHO CONTROLS ADVANCED AI
The discussion came amid growing debate in the technology industry over how quickly artificial intelligence should continue to advance and what measures should be introduced to reduce potential dangers.
Gates was specifically asked about concerns raised by Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, who has called for AI companies to slow the pace of development and voluntarily cooperate on establishing standards around the technology.
Gates rejected the idea that self-regulation by AI companies would be enough to address the risks.
He argued that formal laws and government involvement were needed to determine how safeguards would be established and monitored.
AI SAFETY DEBATE GROWS IN WASHINGTON
The remarks come as the question of how the United States should regulate artificial intelligence continues to generate debate among policymakers and technology companies.
There remains uncertainty over the extent to which the federal government will introduce new AI regulations.
Republican leaders in Congress have played down some concerns about regulation, while President Donald Trump has strongly opposed AI guardrails and described calls for regulation as a “hoax,” according to the report.
GATES WARNING ADDS TO INDUSTRY DEBATE
Gates' comments add his voice to an expanding discussion over the potential consequences of increasingly capable artificial intelligence.
While AI has been promoted for its potential to transform industries and improve productivity, concerns have also grown over how the technology could be used by people seeking to cause harm.
Gates' warning focused specifically on the possibility of malicious use, arguing that the combination of powerful AI tools and people with harmful intentions could create dangers on a scale not previously seen with other technologies.
His comments come as governments, technology companies and AI researchers continue to debate how to balance the development of increasingly advanced systems with measures intended to prevent serious harm.
The full interview in which Gates made the remarks is scheduled to air on Meet the Press on Sunday.