"No one thinks self-regulation is enough": Bill Gates sees AI doing things on its own and warns humanity could lose control
Microsoft co-founder and billionaire Bill Gates urged lawmakers in Washington to regulate the development of AI
The artificial intelligence industry is facing an unusual moment of agreement. After years of companies racing to build increasingly powerful models, several of the sector’s biggest leaders have recently backed the idea of slowing the pace of AI development and putting stronger AI safety measures in place.
Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei called for a more deliberate approach, while OpenAI CEO Sam Altman , Google DeepMind chief Demis Hassabis and xAI’s Elon Musk also expressed support for greater AI oversight and independent safety evaluations.
The concern is no longer limited to outsiders: some of the people building the technology are openly questioning how quickly it should advance.
Bill Gates Wants Washington to Regulate AI
Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has now added his voice to the debate, arguing that AI companies cannot rely on self regulation alone. In an interview with NBC News’ Meet the Press, Gates said lawmakers and law enforcement need to become directly involved in deciding what AI safeguards and monitoring should be required.
He acknowledged that regulation would create some additional burden for AI companies, but argued that it would not necessarily bring AI innovation to a halt. Gates has outlined several areas where he believes the risks could become especially serious.
AI could deliver major advances in medicine, agriculture and scientific research , but increasingly capable systems could also be used for cybercrime, fraud and biological attacks .
He has also warned about a major disruption to the labor market , particularly as AI becomes capable of performing increasingly sophisticated white-collar work and, eventually, more physical tasks through advanced robotics.
In a recent essay, Gates went even further, proposing that governments consider taxing AI systems or robots that replace human workers in a way similar to payroll taxes.
He has also raised the possibility of reserving certain jobs for humans , arguing that society needs a plan for the transition rather than simply allowing automation to move forward without safeguards. His broader concern is that the economic and social disruption caused by AI could arrive much faster than previous technological shifts.
The prospect of self improving superintelligence has become one of the most debated issues in the AI industry, particularly as companies race to develop more powerful models.
That is why Gates believes governments cannot afford to remain on the sidelines . He has called for national and international plans that would establish safeguards while still allowing useful AI research to continue.
