Bill Gates Says "AI Industry Self-Regulation Is Insane"... AI Leaders Clash at the White House

Gates Warns, "AI Is the Most Dangerous Thing Humanity Has Ever Encountered"

At White House Meeting Between Trump and AI Leaders

Jensen Huang and Others Question Amodei, "Why Emphasize the Dangers So Much?"

Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft (MS), issued a strong warning about the risks of artificial intelligence (AI), sharply criticizing the U.S. government's move to promote self-regulation among AI companies.

During an interview on The Ezra Klein Show, a podcast by The New York Times (NYT) on September 30 (local time), Gates stated, "Awareness of the dangers of AI is extremely low. The same goes for academia, think tanks, policymakers, and politicians," adding, "Above all, we cannot trust the industry to self-regulate on this issue. That would be truly insane."

When asked about the idea that AI risks can be controlled through damage lawsuits, he replied, "I can't believe you're asking that question," and pointedly asked, "Are we supposed to allow 100 million people to die and then file lawsuits?" He went on to argue, "AI is the most dangerous thing humanity has ever encountered."

He further emphasized, "There is no equivalent of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that approves and regulates pharmaceuticals in the AI industry, nor is there an aviation safety board or a requirement to install seat belts in cars." He stressed that safety mechanisms and oversight systems must be mandated before a catastrophe occurs.

On the 29th (local time), after a luncheon between U.S. President Donald Trump and AI company CEOs in the East Room of the White House in Washington D.C., the CEOs were seen conversing. Washington (USA) = Reuters Yonhap News.

He continued to warn that the threats posed by AI have already become a reality. Gates stated, "AI has already crossed the threshold that enables a bioterrorist to kill hundreds of millions of people," and claimed, "The capability to paralyze every bank account or shut down the power grid through cyberattacks already exists."

On September 30, President Donald Trump invited AI company CEOs to the White House for a luncheon, then had major AI companies agree on joint principles regarding safety guidelines for AI development. As concerns from AI industry leaders about the dangers of AI grew, the Trump Administration decided to implement a policy of self-regulation. However, differences in perspectives within the industry regarding AI risks became apparent during the discussions.

The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported that, during the talks on self-regulation, Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia, questioned Dario Amodei, CEO of Anthropic, on why he was putting so much emphasis on the dangers of AI. In response, CEO Amodei reportedly stated, "It's important to be honest with the public and not to underestimate the risks."

WSJ pointed out, "This debate illustrates the existing tension between Anthropic and other major AI companies in the process of promoting industry self-regulation."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.