Bill Gates warns unregulated AI could 'cause a billion deaths'

Bill Gates is sounding the alarm on the unchecked development of artificial intelligence.

In an interview with NBC News' Meet the Press, the Microsoft co-founder urged the US government to implement regulations around the development of AI.

Gates shared his concerns following a meeting with the CEOs of several of America's biggest AI companies, who agreed it's necessary to slow down the pace of the growing tech.

"No one thinks self-regulation is enough," Gates insisted. "You need law enforcement and the politicians to get into the discussion about what safeguards and monitoring look like. And that has to be a required thing. And it will be a little bit of overhead for the industry, but not a dramatic slowing of what they're doing."

Gates added, "AI is certainly powerful enough to drive events that, you know, cause a billion deaths. You know, so even though it's pretty hard to get to 100 per cent, there's never been a weapon as powerful as the combination of people with ill intent using the latest AI tools."

US President Donald Trump, however, has brushed off the need for additional guardrails.

In a Truth Social post earlier this month, Trump wrote, "The only control or guardrails that AI needs is a strong and smart (high IQ!) President, and the USA has that, in spades!

"We already have tremendous criminal and regulatory power over these companies! There is a sick conspiracy going on against AI and data centres, and the only one that is happy about it is China. Whoever wins AI, wins! We are leading China, and all others, and will continue to do so. Conspiracy theorists, treasonists, traitors and leakers, beware!"