Bill Gates says it's 'completely irresponsible' for AI to not have safeguards
Bill Gates says AI safeguards should be mandatory and warns that bad actors using AI are the most immediate danger.
Gates’ comments follow several CEOs of leading AI companies agreeing on slowing down the pace of AI development. He offered supporting sentiments and called for more regulation and safeguards. Engadget reported that Anthropic recently tapped Accenture to act as a third-party evaluator for its latest AI models.
When asked about California Governor Gavin Newsom’s proposal of a “kill switch” as part of a larger solution, Gates said, “I would never want to say that I’m against a kill switch,” but added that the approach would not address a more imminent danger. He said the more pressing concern is when bad actors tap into AI to aid with bioterrorism or mass financial fraud incidents.
“The most dangerous thing we’re facing right now is people with bad intent using AI,” Gates said during the interview. “There’s never been a weapon as powerful as the combination of people with ill intent using the latest AI tools.”
On legislation, Gates supported law enforcement and politicians getting into the conversation of what safeguards and monitoring should be incorporated into AI companies. The former Microsoft executive said the approach would add some overhead to the industry, but it would not cause a “dramatic slowing of what they’re doing.”