Bill Gates warns that AI poses existential risks and calls for strict government oversight

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has issued urgent warnings about artificial intelligence, asserting that the technology is powerful enough to cause mass casualties and calling for robust government regulation to prevent misuse. In an interview with NBC's "Meet the Press" set to air September 29, 2026, Gates stated that "AI is certainly powerful enough to drive events that cause a billion deaths," emphasizing that "there's never been a weapon as powerful as the combination of people with ill intent using the latest AI tools." His comments represent the latest escalation in Gates' push for systematic controls on AI development, following an extensive essay published August 26 titled "The turbulent AI era is here. The choices we make now are critical."