No Government Is Ready for AI, Warns Bill Gates as Foundation Pledges $1 Billion
Bill Gates says no government is prepared for AI's societal impact, warning of job losses and other risks, while his foundation plans $1 billion for equitable access.
No government anywhere is adequately prepared for the social upheaval artificial intelligence will bring, Bill Gates has warned, in a shift from his earlier optimism about the technology.
The Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist said he now sees serious threats on several fronts, including disruption to jobs, the danger of attacks and the risk of addiction to AI companions. His central concern, he said, is that policymakers have not kept pace with the speed of change.
"I don't think any government is nearly as deep on this as they have to be," Gates said, adding that governments are "way behind on this one." He said he has raised his concerns with world leaders, including U.S. President Donald Trump and his team, and aims to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping later this year.
A $1 billion push for equal access
Despite those worries, Gates and his foundation argue that AI can help close the gap between rich and poor rather than widen it. The foundation said it plans to spend at least $1 billion over the next two years on expanding access to the technology, part of its previously announced intention to spend $9 billion annually.
The money will go to partners in education, healthcare and agriculture, and will also support the data foundations that AI systems rely on — including efforts to ensure large language models function in every language people speak.
Gates described the potential in health as difficult to overstate, pointing to support for frontline health workers and the discovery of new drugs and vaccines.
A call for cooperation
He said governments must work together to head off the risks, comparing the arrival of AI to the plot of a disaster film in which rival nations unite against a common threat.
"AI is kind of like this alien intelligence," he said, suggesting the world should respond the way such films depict.
Epstein links 'no significant hit'
Gates also addressed his past association with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, whom he had hoped would donate to global health causes. Gates, who is not accused of any crime, has repeatedly said he regrets the connection; he has said Epstein later tried to blackmail him over extramarital affairs.
An external review at his foundation found no payments to Epstein and no involvement in criminal activity. Gates said the episode had not caused him or the foundation a significant reputational hit, noting that his access to government leaders and willingness among journalists to interview him had not diminished, and that demand for the foundation's expertise on cutting child deaths and ending malaria remained undiminished.