BILL GATES WARNS UNCHECKED AI COULD CAUSE A BILLION DEATHS

Bill Gates has called on US federal legislators and law enforcement to regulate artificial intelligence, warning in an NBC interview that the technology, left unchecked, could "cause a billion deaths". The Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist spoke to Kristen Welker for an interview airing on NBC's Meet the Press on Sunday. Gates said "no one thinks self-regulation is enough" and called for politicians and law enforcement to help determine safeguards and monitoring, describing this as "a required thing". He said regulation would add "a little bit of overhead" for the industry but not slow AI development dramatically.

Gates said AI in the wrong hands would be powerful enough to "drive events" causing a billion deaths, adding that "there's never been a weapon as powerful as the combination of people with ill intent using the latest AI tools". NBC said the remarks echo similar warnings from other figures in technology and politics. Gates also dismissed the idea that a "kill switch" would be sufficient to stop AI, saying systems cannot yet autonomously seize control of computers in a way that prevents shutdown. He said suggestions that a kill switch alone would suffice show "how non-technical various people are" on the issue.

The interview is scheduled to air on Sunday. NBC noted that Gates is generally regarded as optimistic about humanity's future. His comments call for federal-level regulation rather than leaving oversight to the AI industry, naming law enforcement and politicians as necessary participants in shaping safeguards. No legislative proposal or timeline was included in the excerpts released ahead of the broadcast. The remarks add Gates to a wider group of technology and political figures who have issued similar warnings about AI risks.