Bill Gates warns AI is “like alien intelligence” as foundation commits $1 billion
The billionaire previously said AI will either be “the greatest equalizer” or the “worst source of injustice.”
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- The Gates Foundation will invest $1 billion over two years to expand access to AI tools.
- The funding will support local-language models, health care, education, and tools for small farmers.
- Bill Gates says governments are not ready for the social changes AI will bring.
- Gates argues AI could reduce inequality, but only if governments and companies make deliberate choices.
Key Takeaways by nexos.ai, reviewed by Cybernews staff.
After recently changing his stance on AI and warning of the threats to jobs, cyberattacks, and addiction risks, Bill Gates has once again urged governments around the world to prepare for the changes the technology is bringing to societies. His foundation has also pledged $1 billion to improve access to AI.
The Gates Foundation plans to invest the money in expanding access to AI and AI-enabled solutions that “have too often been out of reach for many around the world.”
The announcement makes clear that the organization and the billionaire philanthropist and Microsoft co-founder want AI to combat social inequities rather than deepening disparities.
Moreover, the Gates Foundation’s entire Goalkeepers Report, called “Make This Matter: AI, Equity, and the Choice We Can’t Delay,” focuses on the need to ensure that AI helps narrow gaps between the richest and poorest rather than widening them.
Left to the market alone, the most capable tools will be built first for the people and institutions most able to pay for them – not necessarily for those who could benefit most,said Bill Gates.
“We can harness AI for good. But it won’t happen by accident. It requires a deliberate, specific commitment from government leaders and the companies developing the technology: to measure success not only by what AI can do for the most profitable users but by what it can do for the people who stand the most to gain.”
The Goalkeepers Report explains that the $1 billion will be distributed over the next two years to partners training models on local languages, improving health outcomes, upgrading educational tools, and helping small farmers.
In a separate interview with Reuters, Gates said that no government in the world is ready for the changes AI will bring to society, even likening the arrival of AI to a disaster movie.
“There’s all sorts of movies where some aliens are coming, and magically the US and China and everybody comes together to solve the problem. AI is kind of like this alien intelligence. It’s here, and we better do like it shows in those movies,” said the billionaire.
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In August, Gates already wrote an expansive essay about how he was shocked by how quickly AI technology was improving.
“In terms of equity, AI will either be the greatest equalizer ever invented, or the worst source of injustice. The challenge is monumental,” Gates said.
Among other suggestions, he proposed a concept he called Human Reserved jobs – societally agreed-upon jobs for human beings in areas like mental health care or education.
Gates also envisions taxing revenue from companies that use “tokens” or AI outputs to supplant labor, which could help fund a safety net. Right now, he adds, the tax systems nudge businesses toward replacing people with machines.
