Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist Bill Gates issued a pointed warning about the immediate risks of AI, saying the industry should focus on how “bad people” can use the technology rather than the far-off danger of developers losing control of their models.
“The real danger right now is not the AI’s getting out of control. We need to work on that, but that’s years away in terms of the big impact that might have,” Gates said Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union.” “It’s really bad people using AI, particularly an AI where you can take out all the safeguards.”
The tech industry pioneer said that cyberattacks and bioterrorism are some of the greatest threats that individuals with malicious intent could pose if they have access to advanced models without adequate controls. Many companies have internal guardrails on their models, “but right now you’re allowed to take all those safeguards out,” Gates said.
During his address to the United Nations Security Council on Sept. 23, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman previously warned that in an effort to pace the industry, tech companies must not risk falling “into the trap of doomerism” and instead find a “middle path.”
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When asked by CNN’s Jake Tapper if he believed that he was falling into the trap Altman described, Gates said he agreed with Altman’s push for a middle ground but stood firm in his call for more safeguards on the industry.
“Compared to cars or planes or drugs — all things that I think we’re pleased that we have significant regulatory capability to try and keep people safe — this is more dangerous than any of those, and so you know, there are some grim possibilities if we don’t maintain control,” Gates said.
Gates said that AI’s negative impact has been “overblown,” but he added that “all responsible AI leaders, including Sam Altman, including [Anthropic’s] Dario Amodei, they are telling the world this is very concerning.”
AI development is largely unregulated by the U.S. government, and many of the industry’s top leaders have called on Congress and President Donald Trump to step in to put checks on the emerging field.
Public scrutiny on the industry sharply amplified following dire warnings from researchers and engineers this summer claiming the unregulated competition between tech companies to develop the most advanced model posed a threat to the human race.
Trump has largely rebuffed the calls to institute guardrails on AI, saying that his presidency is the only safeguard the industry needs while deeming the urgent warnings a “hoax.” Trump has repeatedly claimed that China, the U.S. biggest competitor in AI development, is benefiting from the public concern over the safety risks posed by the models.
“WHOEVER WINS AI, WINS!” Trump wrote Sept. 14 on Truth Social. “We are leading China, and all others, and will continue to do so.”
Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) met with tech industry leaders at the White House on Sept. 29 and announced an accord, signed by several AI leaders, that opened the door to government regulation but largely rested on companies “self-policing.”
Amodei, Google CEO Sundar Pichai, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, OpenAI President Greg Brockman, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and xAI founder Elon Musk among others signed the accord with Trump.
Gates, who has no management role in Microsoft, which operates its own Copilot AI tool through a partnership with Atlman’s OpenAI, was not present at the meeting — though he told CNN he has “heard from a number of politicians” since sharing his concerns publicly and he still hopes to speak with Trump.
“The more time that’s spent on this, the better, because we are not yet where we need to be,” Gates said.
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