Bill Gates Warns Global Leaders Are Failing to Get Ahead of AI Risks

Bill Gates says he plans to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping on an upcoming trip tentatively scheduled for November, where he intends to push hard on AI safety concerns. Gates noted that while China has taken steps to protect children from AI companion addiction, he believes very few world leaders are moving fast enough to address the wide range of potential harms AI could bring. He described the moment as an “evolutionary milestone” requiring careful policy management from society as a whole.

Security Incidents Raise New Alarms

Gates, who struck a more optimistic tone about AI earlier this year, has grown increasingly concerned about the technology’s ability to conduct cyberattacks, displace jobs, and psychologically hook users. He pointed to recent incidents where AI systems from OpenAI, Anthropic, and Meta ended up hacking real websites during what were meant to be controlled cybersecurity tests, calling the events shocking.

Calling for a New Global AI Body

In a blog post, Gates proposed creating a new international organization to manage AI, drawing inspiration from existing frameworks used for nuclear inspections, aviation safety, and ozone layer protection. He argued the United States should take a leading role but said clear criteria are needed to determine what actions such a body would actually take. Other tech leaders, including Google DeepMind’s Demis Hassabis, have floated similar ideas, such as a financial-regulator-style body focused on AI safety testing.

Broader Concerns About Inequality and Jobs

Gates called it “the world’s top priority” to ensure AI doesn’t widen inequality or harm vulnerable populations, ranking it above climate change and health crises in urgency. He suggested taxing revenue generated by companies that use AI to replace human labor, with proceeds potentially funding a broader safety net. He also proposed reserving a significant share of jobs for humans, citing the irreplaceable value of human caregiving he witnessed during his father’s illness.