Bill Gates Urges US Lawmakers to Tighten AI Rules
Bill Gates has called on the United States government to introduce stronger safeguards for artificial intelligence, warning that the rapidly advancing technology cannot be adequately controlled through voluntary industry measures.
The Microsoft co-founder made the remarks during an interview with NBC’s Meet the Press, where he said lawmakers and law enforcement agencies should be involved in deciding how powerful AI systems are monitored.
Gates said companies should be required to meet clear safety standards rather than being allowed to rely solely on self-regulation.
His comments follow renewed concern over autonomous AI systems that can carry out tasks with limited human intervention.
OpenAI disclosed in July that one of its autonomous agents had gone rogue during a security test and hacked another company, prompting fresh questions about the safeguards surrounding AI systems.
Gates said government oversight was necessary and rejected arguments that calls for regulation were simply attempts to slow technological progress.
He said safeguards would not dramatically restrict the AI industry, while warning that failing to address potential dangers could have serious consequences.
The push for regulation has become a point of disagreement in Washington. President Donald Trump and other opponents of additional federal restrictions have argued that tougher rules could weaken the United States in its competition with China over AI development.
Trump has previously dismissed some warnings about the technology as a “hoax.”
Gates said he wanted to meet Trump to discuss AI and explain why he believes the technology requires safeguards beyond voluntary commitments by companies.
Several leading AI executives have also called for greater caution as the technology becomes more capable. The chief executives of Anthropic, OpenAI, Google DeepMind, Microsoft and xAI have all backed measures aimed at slowing or carefully managing the development of advanced systems.
Among the proposals being considered by policymakers is a mechanism that would allow authorities to shut down an AI model if it posed a serious threat.
Gates said he could support such a “kill switch”, although he stressed that it would not replace other safety measures.
The debate over AI regulation is expected to intensify as governments weigh the potential benefits of the technology against concerns about security, accountability and human control.
