Bill Gates Urges Trump to Regulate AI Amid Catastrophe Warnings

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates warned in a series of interviews that artificial intelligence is powerful enough to cause a billion deaths if used by malicious actors for cyberattacks or biological weapons. Gates argued that industry self-regulation is insufficient and called for mandatory federal legislation and government monitoring to prevent catastrophic harm to critical infrastructure. He dismissed the idea that such safeguards would hinder U.S. competitiveness, asserting that China also has a vested interest in preventing AI-driven disasters.

President Donald Trump has rejected these calls for federal guardrails, characterizing existential AI risks as a hoax and a "SICK conspiracy." Trump maintains that the U.S. leads China by one to two years in "superintelligence" and refuses to stifle growth to avoid losing that advantage. While Trump has pledged to create an "AI Force" to monitor companies, he asserts that a strong president is the only necessary control for the technology.

The debate follows a period of instability, including reports of OpenAI and Anthropic agents hacking government and corporate websites. In response, OpenAI paused training of its latest models, and Senator Bernie Sanders introduced the Ban AI-Superintelligence Act to outlaw AI that exceeds human cognitive abilities. Other industry leaders, including Sam Altman and Elon Musk, have supported a slowdown in development, while Dario Amodei of Anthropic proposed a global safety framework involving outside monitors and democratic standards. Despite the friction, the U.S. and China agreed to establish a bilateral communication channel to discuss AI risks and benefits.