Bill Gates told "Meet the Press" that AI risks are "not a hoax" and warned that unchecked AI could produce catastrophic harm, even suggesting it might cause "a billion deaths." He plans to seek a meeting with President Trump to press for mandatory U.S. requirements on AI systems while stopping short of calling for a research pause. Gates emphasized AI is not yet uncontrollable but needs both government oversight and industry self-regulation, and he highlighted the immediate danger from malicious actors using AI to scale cyberattacks and fraud.
Bill Gates: AI Risks 'Not a Hoax' — Warns Unchecked AI Could Cause 'A Billion Deaths'
In a "Meet the Press" interview that aired on Sunday, the billionaire Microsoft co-founder said he hoped to meet with Trump about AI regulation.
Billionaire Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates warned in an extended "Meet the Press" interview that advancing artificial intelligence without appropriate safeguards could have catastrophic consequences — including the possibility of "a billion deaths." He directly disputed President Donald Trump's recent characterization of calls for AI regulation as a "hoax."
Gates said he hopes to meet with Mr. Trump to press for clearer rules governing AI development and deployment. Speaking with host Kristen Welker, he argued that negotiating an international framework for AI will be "more difficult" than Cold War-era arms talks because the technology has broad commercial and military uses.
"It's not a hoax," Gates said when asked about Trump's comments, adding that he is optimistic the president could be persuaded to change his stance.
Gates said he would not call for a pause in AI research, but he advocated mandatory requirements for AI systems in the U.S.: "I'll be saying we should impose a requirement on all the AIs in the U.S.," he told Welker, noting that China "doesn't want bioterrorism" or large-scale attacks by nongovernmental actors.
Pressed on whether AI might already be out of control, Gates replied emphatically "no," pointing out that AI is not running "millions of robots yet" and that humans still have the ability to "turn off the computer." Still, he stressed that AI "absolutely" needs both government oversight and industry self-regulation.
Immediate risks, Gates said, come from malicious actors using AI to commit fraud, disrupt infrastructure, or scale cyberattacks. "Historically, countries had cyberattack teams. Now small groups with AI can do what only the biggest countries could do," he warned.
Industry Calls for Regulation
In recent weeks, leaders of several major AI labs have publicly backed government regulation, including OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Anthropic's Dario Amodei and xAI's Elon Musk. Executives have pointed to incidents such as a hacking episode tied to OpenAI and Hugging Face earlier this summer and an Anthropic report on misuse of the Claude model as evidence of the need for rules and stronger safeguards.
By contrast, Mr. Trump has rebuffed proposals for regulation, posting on Truth Social earlier this month that concerns were a "hoax" and asserting that China is "doing absolutely nothing to stand in the way of AI." Gates said U.S. leadership on safeguards is crucial and that global negotiators are watching for action.
Gates's net worth is estimated at $115 billion, placing him among the world's wealthiest people. The interview underscores growing debate among policymakers, industry leaders and technologists about balancing innovation with risk mitigation as AI capabilities advance.
Originally published on Forbes.com
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