Bill Gates praises AI as a “wonderful” technology that can save humans from climate change and disease, but warns it must be used “by people with good intentions”

Tech giant Microsoft is one of many companies embracing AI.

So it is perhaps ironic that Microsoft co-founder, billionaire Bill Gates, has issued a warning about its potential dangers.

Speaking in London this week, Gates called AI a “wonderful” technology that could save humans from climate change and disease.

But he warned that it should be used “by people with good intentions” as it could be used by criminals “involved in cyber attacks or political interference.”

Gates, one of the world’s 10 richest humans, said: “The defense has to be smarter than the offense. And both sides will use AI to improve their game.”

Gates, who founded Microsoft with the late Paul Allen in 1974, spoke Thursday at the Breakthrough Energy Summit in London, which was also attended by Prince William.

“AI is so important that we have to make sure that it is used mainly by people with good intentions,” said the businessman. Sky’s The World with Yalda Hakim.

‘For this reason, every time a new technology appears, it is mainly used by teachers, doctors and scientists to be more effective.

“If you have someone who is involved in something like a cyber attack or political interference, AI could be used by them, so you want to make sure the good guys are at the forefront.”

Gates said AI will act as a positive force to provide better healthcare and combat climate change, specifically mentioning nuclear fusion energy as a clean alternative to fossil fuels.

“With climate change, some of the complex things, like modeling fusion energy, thank goodness AI is going to make that a lot easier to do,” he said.

Bill Gates and Prince William tour the Innovation Showcase at the Breakthrough Energy Summit in London on June 27, 2024.

The common scenario in which AI poses a danger to humanity often involves “killer robots”, but in the short term, AI software could be to blame for security disasters (file photo)

«AI helps us model things in science: better understand materials, catalysts, and how to make proteins.

‘AI, in all fields of activity, will accelerate innovation, whether in medicine or helping with mentoring and education.’

Gates ranks seventh on this year’s Forbes list of the world’s richest people, behind the likes of SpaceX founder Elon Musk and French businessman Bernard Arnault.

Gates founded Microsoft with Allen after the two met in high school in Seattle in 1968. They both dropped out of college to start the company.

According to Allen’s memoirs, he and Gates shared a passion for computers and often searched through trash cans for printed copies of computer program code.

He stepped down as Microsoft’s chief executive in 2000, but there are continuing suggestions that he has control over the company’s overall direction from behind the scenes.

As of June 2024, Redmond, Washington-based Microsoft reportedly has a market capitalization of $3.365 trillion.

Bill Gates watches his friend and future Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen typing on a teletype terminal at Lakeside School in 1968. Gates was about 13 years old in this image.

According to a recent report by Business InsiderGates has been “quietly orchestrating” much of Microsoft’s artificial intelligence revolution.

Today, Microsoft is embracing AI wholeheartedly with products including its AI-powered laptops and its Copilot chatbot.

The new line of Windows laptops features an “AI button” on the keyboard for quick access to Copilot, a generative artificial intelligence assistant.

Microsoft has also given financial backing to OpenAI, the California technology company that created the sensational chatbot ChatGPT.