WASHINGTON, D.C. — Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates called on U.S. federal legislators and law enforcement to regulate the development of artificial intelligence, warning that unchecked systems could cause a billion deaths. In an interview, Gates stated that safeguards and monitoring must become mandatory requirements for AI companies rather than voluntary measures. “a little bit of overhead for the industry,” Bill Gates said. “Unless governments insist on various safeguards, you know, we will see a lot of big, negative things because we’re not safeguarding,” he said.

He emphasized that self-regulation by technology firms is insufficient to address the scale of potential risks. “No one thinks self-regulation is enough,” he said. He argued that political leaders and law enforcement agencies must engage directly in defining what protective measures look like for the industry.

“You need law enforcement and the politicians to get into the discussion about what safeguards and monitoring look like. And that has to be a required thing,” he said. He identified internal monitoring of AI activity within laboratories as a critical component of any regulatory framework.

The Microsoft co-founder described the current threat landscape as unprecedented in its accessibility to malicious actors. “There’s never been a weapon as powerful as the combination of people with ill intent using the latest AI tools,” he said. He noted that small groups can now execute cyberattacks or develop bioterror weapons, capabilities previously restricted to major nation-states.

“Historically, countries, you know, had cyberattack teams and they could think of things like bioterror weapons. Now, small groups with AI can do what only the biggest countries could do. So it’s really the bad intent plus AI that looms as a major threat,” he said. He identified fraud, electric network shutdowns, and bank account scrambling as immediate dangers enabled by these tools.

The most dangerous thing we’re facing right now is people with bad intent using AI. You know, so somebody who wants to defraud an individual or wants to shut down the electric network or, you know, scramble bank accounts, they are now empowered,” he said. He warned that without government insistence on safeguards, negative outcomes are likely.

He addressed specific legislative proposals, including a bipartisan effort in Congress to mandate a kill switch for AI systems. He stated that relying solely on such a mechanism is inadequate because it fails to provide insight into bad behavior before activation. “It’s not enough to have a kill switch,” he said.

“I would never want to say I’m against a kill switch. But when you’re trying to moderate the bad behavior, you need insight and records of what’s being done. So the kill switch alone would not prevent these tragedies,” he said. He explained that law enforcement responses to fraud or transmission shutdowns would be ineffective without built-in monitoring capabilities.

“Law enforcement is going to get called up, you know, on all these fraud events or, you know, transmission shutdown events. And their ability to see what’s going on is going to be nil, unless the monitoring and safeguards are built into the AI,” he said. He characterized regulatory safeguards as a minor overhead for the industry that would not dramatically slow development.

He compared the challenge of regulating global AI development to Cold War-era nuclear negotiations, noting the current situation presents greater complexities. “This is more difficult than that was,” he said. He also addressed concerns that regulation might hinder U.S. competitiveness against China, arguing that monitoring systems would not handicap the nation in the technological race.

“What he said is fine, but I think after he hears from me and other people, including that this does not handicap us in whatever he thinks the nation-state race is, that, you know, we will come to a consensus,” he said. This comment referenced President Donald Trump, who has previously dismissed AI risk warnings as hoaxes similar to climate change concerns.

Trump stated he would not regulate the AI industry and posted on Truth Social that the United States is leading China and other nations in AI development. “WHOEVER WINS AI, WINS! We are leading China, and all others, and will continue to do so,” Trump posted. He has characterized apocalyptic AI warnings as comparable to the Russia investigation hoax.

“It’s just like, everybody’s going to be dead, you’re all supposed to be dead now because of global warming. It’s like Russia, Russia, Russia hoax. All of these different hoaxes,” he said. He expressed willingness to speak with the president to convey his concerns about these risks.

“I hope that, given my life’s work in the field, my saying how unique and different this is and how concerned I am will add to what he’s hearing from other people,” he said. He disagreed with the characterization of AI warnings as exaggerated, emphasizing the unique nature of the current technological threats.

Other industry leaders have offered varying perspectives on regulation and safety. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei called for global and federal cooperation on AI regulation, stating that effective pacing requires targeting all U.S. frontier AI companies. Amodei told the United Nations Security Council that poorly managed AI could pose a risk to humanity as a whole.

Dario Amodei said: “The most effective method of pacing is via regulation that targets all U.S. frontier AI companies, as that covers even those who are unwilling to cooperate voluntarily. Global pacing will require cooperation with China, the autocratic country with by far the most advanced AI capabilities.”

He remains the chair of the Gates Foundation, which has committed $1 billion to expand AI access in the developing world. The foundation’s Global Health Division has received over $50 million from Gates for research into emerging technologies and their public health impacts. He published an essay in late August 2024 warning about the potential lethal risks of artificial intelligence.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has increased collaboration with AI labs since April 2026 through its Office of Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. A senior DHS official stated at the Black Hat USA cybersecurity conference that the department is actively monitoring AI labs' safety decisions and is prepared to intervene if companies exceed acceptable risk thresholds.

Timeline

In late August 2024, Bill Gates published an essay warning about the potential lethal risks of artificial intelligence. On September 12, 2026, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei published an essay promising to slow the development of the most advanced AI models and urging more regulation. President Donald Trump confirmed he plans to have a dinner meeting with Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei on Sunday, September 27, 2026.

What's New

Additional reporting shows his specific comments on law enforcement limitations, noting that their ability to see what is happening during fraud or transmission shutdown events will be nil unless monitoring and safeguards are built into the AI. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei called for global and federal cooperation on AI regulation in recent statements.

He stated he is willing to speak with President Donald Trump to convey his concerns about AI risks. He also remarked that regulating global AI development is more difficult than Cold War-era nuclear negotiations, saying, “This is more difficult than that was.” He argued that imposing monitoring systems on AI companies would not handicap the United States in its technological competition with China.

Regarding the national race, he said, “What he said is fine, but I think after he hears from me and other people, including that this does not handicap us in whatever he thinks the nation-state race is, that, you know, we will come to a consensus.” He further detailed immediate threats, stating, “The most dangerous thing we’re facing right now is people with bad intent using AI. You know, so somebody who wants to defraud an individual or wants to shut down the electric network or, you know, scramble bank accounts, they are now empowered.” He added that historically countries had cyberattack teams, but now small groups with AI can do what only the biggest countries could do, making bad intent plus AI a major threat.

Why It Matters

The debate over AI regulation involves stakes regarding national security, public safety, and global technological leadership. His warning that unchecked AI could cause a billion deaths reflects the severity with which some experts view the potential for misuse by malicious actors. The involvement of federal agencies like the Department of Homeland Security indicates that government bodies are already engaging with AI safety issues, moving beyond theoretical discussions to active monitoring and potential intervention.

Divergent views among tech leaders and political figures highlight the complexity of establishing a unified regulatory framework. While he and Amodei advocate for mandatory safeguards and international cooperation, President Trump and Mark Zuckerberg emphasize national competition and internal safety management. The upcoming meeting between President Trump and Dario Amodei suggests that high-level discussions on these conflicting approaches will continue to shape policy decisions in the near future.