Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has offered a chilling warning that artificial intelligence is powerful enough to drive events leading to a billion deaths if used as a weapon by malicious actors.
While appearing on NBC’s Meet the Press on Sunday, Gates called for greater government oversight of the emerging tech, after series of AI security incidents.
‘AI is certainly powerful enough to drive events that cause a billion deaths,’ Gates told Meet the Press moderator Kirsten Welker, before adding, ‘So even though it’s pretty hard to get to 100 per cent [of humanity], there’s never been a weapon as powerful as the combination of people with ill intent using the latest AI tools.’
Gates also appeared to offer up some potential solutions, when asked by Welker, ‘what would prevent tragedies from happening due to AI specifically?’
He warned that artificial intelligence could make it dangerously difficult to distinguish between scientists developing lifesaving medicines and bad actors seeking to create biological weapons.
‘I wish it was easier to distinguish good intent, like I want to design a new drug for a disease, versus negative intent, which is I want to design a tool of bioterrorism,’ Gates told Welker.
The Tech billionaire also argued that the potential risks make strict oversight of advanced AI systems essential, calling on the United States to take the lead in establishing safeguards.
‘Because those are so close, we do need to monitor any sophisticated model and record exactly what’s being done,’ he said.
