Bill Gates warns unchecked AI could 'cause a billion deaths' without regulation

Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist Bill Gates has called on US federal legislators and law enforcement to regulate the development of artificial intelligence, warning that the technology, left unchecked, could "cause a billion deaths."

Speaking in an interview with NBC's Kristen Welker set to air on Sunday, Gates said that "no one thinks self-regulation is enough" when it comes to AI, according to The Guardian. He argued that political and legal institutions need to be actively involved in shaping the safeguards and monitoring mechanisms that govern the technology's development.

A prominent voice joining AI safety calls

Gates's comments add a high-profile voice to an ongoing debate among technologists, policymakers and researchers over how quickly artificial intelligence is advancing and whether existing oversight mechanisms are adequate to manage its risks.

While AI developers have often pointed to voluntary industry commitments and internal safety practices as interim measures, critics, including Gates in these remarks, argue that binding government regulation is necessary to prevent catastrophic outcomes as the technology becomes more powerful and widely deployed.

The interview did not, based on available reporting, specify the particular scenarios or timelines Gates associates with his warning, though his remarks are consistent with broader concerns raised by some researchers about the pace of AI development outstripping current governance frameworks.