Bill Gates: it's 'irresponsible' for AI to lack safeguards
Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has called for mandatory safety and monitoring measures in AI systems, arguing that the bigger threat comes from malicious actors rather than the technology itself. He voiced this stance in an interview with NBC News.
Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft, told NBC News' "Meet the Press" that AI companies should be required to build safety and monitoring mechanisms into their products. Following an agreement among several leading AI company executives to slow the pace of development, Gates backed that sentiment, stating it would be entirely irresponsible not to mandate such safeguards for every AI system.
As an example of this kind of approach, Anthropic recently brought in consulting firm Accenture to act as an independent evaluator for its newest AI models.
Different views on regulatory approaches
The conversation also touched on California Governor Gavin Newsom's proposal for a "kill switch" for AI systems as part of a broader solution. Gates said he would never oppose such a mechanism, but noted it doesn't address the more urgent problem.
In his view, the real and more immediate danger isn't the technology itself, but people with malicious intent who exploit AI tools — for instance, for bioterrorism or large-scale financial fraud. Gates stressed that there has never been a weapon as powerful as the combination of ill intent and today's AI tools.
On legislation, Gates supported involving law enforcement and lawmakers in discussions about what safeguards and monitoring AI companies should implement. He acknowledged this approach would add some administrative burden to the industry, but did not believe it would significantly slow companies' work.
