Bill Gates Criticizes Tech Companies for Downplaying AI’s Risks

Bill Gates says tech companies are minimizing the perils artificial intelligence poses to humanity.

In an essay posted on his personal website on Wednesday, the Microsoft Corp. co-founder called for governments to take immediate steps to regulate the powerful technology before it does irrevocable harm.

Gates said he was going public with his concerns because AI is improving faster than he expected and because the tech industry has largely abandoned the caution it once espoused.

“AI will either be the greatest equalizer ever invented, or the worst source of injustice,” he wrote. “The challenge is monumental. Even under the best circumstances, the transition to this new AI era will be one of the most turbulent times in human history.”

Gates took tech and government leaders to task for not preparing for the challenges. “There is no plan to ease the entry into the AI era,” he wrote.

In the essay, Gates cited three key challenges: AI’s impact on jobs; its ability to empower people to do more harm, including building bioweapons and computer viruses; and the damage it could do to human relationships and childhood development.

In an interview with the New York Times, Gates acknowledged that he’s an imperfect messenger given his deep ties to the tech industry. His reputation also suffered following revelations about his relationship with convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, for which he has apologized.

Gates left Microsoft’s board in 2020.