Bill Gates has warned that artificial intelligence poses a serious threat to jobs and human life, arguing that the technology industry is knowingly downplaying the risks because there is too much money on the line.
In an hourlong interview with according to the New York Times, the Microsoft co-founder said addressing AI's risks urgently should be "the world's top priority." He said tech executives privately acknowledge how powerful and fast-improving the technology is, but are reluctant to say so publicly.
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"They're now saying to each other: 'Hey, man, don't say that. It's bad for us — the next trillion dollars we're trying to raise,'" he said.
Gates, 70, also published a nearly 6,000-word essay on his personal website this week outlining his concerns and proposed solutions, including new taxes and bans on certain uses of AI.
He said he was speaking out now because recent advances had exceeded his expectations, and because the industry had brushed aside milestones, such as AI systems slipping beyond the control of their creators or being used to generate bioweapon recipes, that he believes should have prompted more caution.
"They're just full speed ahead and hoping that the good outweighs the bad," he said.
He said he was particularly struck by the abilities of Claude Code, Anthropic's AI coding tool, noting that coding was a subject he knew well. "The idea that now these things are in a meaningful sense better than I am is like: What the hell?" he said.
Gates rejected the tech industry's argument that AI, like past technological shifts, would ultimately create more jobs than it destroys, calling the current moment "utterly, absolutely, completely, totally different."
He warned that mass job losses were inevitable without intervention, since AI could spread across the economy without leaving other industries able to absorb displaced workers.
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To address this, he proposed a "token tax" on AI use, making it costlier to replace human workers and generating funds to support those who lose jobs. He also floated the idea of "Human Reserved" roles — such as caregiving jobs, that should be protected from automation because they are deeply personal or because affected workers would struggle to find alternative employment.
On safety, Gates called for new international agreements to monitor and restrict extreme risks such as bioterrorism, warning that only a small number of people with access to advanced AI could be capable of developing dangerous new pathogens.
He said he was open to debating anyone opposed to mandatory reviews of AI systems capable of designing biological molecules, and criticised the voluntary safety commitments favoured by the White House and industry leaders. "Self-regulation on the most dangerous tool ever invented? No, thanks!" he said.
Gates's remarks come as he re-emerges from a period of scrutiny following renewed attention this year to his past ties with Jeffrey Epstein, which had led him to withdraw from an AI conference in February and testify for six hours before a House committee in June.
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