Bill Gates warns AI misuse could cause a billion deaths

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has warned that malicious use of artificial intelligence could drive events causing a billion deaths, urging the United States to legislate against the risks. His remarks in an NBC Meet the Press interview were reported by Forbes and Business Insider on 25 September 2026. [6] [7]

“AI is certainly powerful enough to drive events that cause a billion deaths,” Gates said, as quoted by Business Insider. He singled out the danger of people with malicious intentions using the latest AI tools. [7]

Gates argued that technology companies should not be left to set safeguards on their own. “No one thinks self-regulation is enough,” he said, calling for politicians and law enforcement to help determine what safeguards and monitoring should look like. He said US legislation was needed to reduce the risks. [1] [6]

The full NBC interview is scheduled to air on Sunday, 27 September. [6] [7]

The warning sits alongside Gates’s continued optimism about AI’s potential benefits. In an essay published on his Gates Notes website on 26 August, he argued that leaders, experts and communities were not preparing adequately for the transition. But he also said that, if the world took the right steps, AI could be a force for good and leave everyone better off. [2]