Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist Bill Gates has warned that artificial intelligence could do more harm than good if governments fail to act urgently to address the technology’s growing risks.
In a report by Shira Ovide published by The Washington Post on Wednesday, Gates said he had moved from his longstanding optimism about artificial intelligence to becoming increasingly concerned about its rapid development and the potential consequences for jobs, security and children’s well-being.
For years, Gates had promoted AI’s potential to improve healthcare, education and other areas of society, including by freeing people from some forms of work and accelerating efforts to tackle diseases and climate change.
However, Ovide reported that Gates now believes AI’s rapid advancement has created risks that require immediate intervention, particularly as the technology becomes increasingly capable of performing workplace tasks and facilitating sophisticated cyberattacks.
“For the first time in his life,” Gates said he finds himself wishing that a new technology would advance more slowly, according to The Washington Post.
“I’ve never seen a problem that innovation can’t solve,” Gates said in the interview with the newspaper.
Gates identified three broad areas of concern: security threats, including AI-enabled hacking, biological weapons and fraud; potential job losses caused by AI-powered automation and robotics; and possible effects on children’s learning and human relationships.
Ovide reported that Gates’ concerns have intensified in recent months as AI capabilities in software coding and cyberattacks have advanced beyond what he expected.
Gates also argued that the AI industry cannot effectively regulate itself and called for the U.S. government to take a leading role in establishing safeguards against threats to national security, employment and children.
“My basic view is nobody’s shown up,” Gates said, calling for a bipartisan response to the challenges posed by AI.
In his new essay, Gates proposed national and international frameworks for addressing AI-related risks, including greater cooperation among elected officials, technical experts and citizens.
He also suggested measures to reduce the impact of AI-driven job displacement, including possible new taxes on AI and what he described as “Human Reserved” jobs, in which certain occupations would be deliberately protected for human workers.
Despite his warnings, Gates stressed that he remains convinced that AI has enormous potential to improve lives, particularly in healthcare, government services and education.
According to Ovide’s report, Gates said AI was already helping farmers and other people in developing countries where his foundation operates.
“The good stuff is really there, no exaggeration,” Gates said, adding that the challenge was to ensure society experienced only a small amount of the technology’s harm while gaining the greatest possible benefits.
*This report is based on reporting by Shira Ovide for The Washington Post, published August 26, 2026.* [Read the original report by Shira Ovide in The Washington Post]