Bill Gates: AI could cause 'a billion deaths' if it's not regulated

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates believes that artificial intelligence could eventually be responsible for "a billion deaths," he said in an interview that aired on Friday, calling for the technology to be regulated.

"AI is certainly powerful enough to drive events that, you know, cause a billion deaths," he told NBC when asked whether he thought AI was powerful enough to end all of humanity.

"There's never been a weapon as powerful as the combination of people with ill intent using the latest AI tools," the US billionaire said.

Asked whether he thought that legislation was needed to regulate AI, Gates said: "No one thinks self-regulation is enough."

"You need law enforcement and the politicians to get into the discussion about what safeguards and monitoring look like."

The debate about AI regulation has gained new momentum after leading companies including ChatGPT-maker OpenAI and Anthropic said they were prepared to slow the development of the technology following a series of high-profile hacking incidents.