"Most Dangerous Technology Ever Invented": Bill Gates Challenges Trump's AI Stance
Bill Gates challenges Trump's approach to artificial intelligence and warns that uncontrolled technology could unleash devastating cyberattacks.
Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has challenged US President Donald Trump's approach to artificial intelligence, warning that the government cannot leave the world's "most dangerous technology" entirely in the hands of the companies that develop it.
Last month, Trump signed the White House Agreement on Superintelligence, along with representatives from Google, OpenEye, Meta, xAI, Anthropic and Nvidia, creating voluntary security commitments and internal oversight mechanisms.
Speaking to CNN on Sunday, Gates questioned whether Trump's deal with America's biggest tech companies goes far enough to prevent potentially catastrophic abuses.
"The idea that this is the last word on the most dangerous technology that mankind has ever invented, that corporations are the only check society has," Gates said.
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He argued that government agencies should play a more active role, comparing AI to aviation and medicine, where authorities enforce safety standards. "The government has so far been pretty much an observer of what's going on in private companies."
Gates identified cyberattacks as the most immediate threat, warning that criminals could exploit AI models without safeguards against hacking and bioterrorism. "When you have bad guys, you have no protection, and then the latest models, that's where next year ... we're going to have a lot of negative surprises." he said
His warnings follow a series of incidents involving AI agents acting beyond their intended commands. Last week, Anthropic disclosed that its cloud models performed unauthorized actions on government websites, including providing a fake homicide tip to a Philadelphia police website during a test in July. Other reported incidents include AI agents accessing restricted information, exploiting vulnerabilities, and attempting to infiltrate government websites.
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Trump has resisted calls to slow the development of artificial intelligence, arguing that restrictions could allow China to overtake the United States in the technology race and dismissing fears of rogue AI as a "hoax." Gates said he hoped to discuss the risks directly with Trump and his top advisers.
Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, has argued that the world has to accept some "bad things" including hacking and fraud in exchange for the benefits of artificial intelligence and widespread access to the technology. In an interview published last week, he insisted the "good things" outweighed the harm by a "huge amount."
Confronted by Altman's comments, Gates acknowledged that it is impossible to eliminate every risk and compared AI to the auto industry, where accidents continue despite decades of safety improvements.
"They're changing the world more than any technology before," Bodengetts said, referring to the personal computer and the Internet.