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Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has issued a stark warning about artificial intelligence, saying the technology is now powerful enough to cause the deaths of billions of people. Gates made the comments during an exclusive interview with Meet the Press, aired on September 24, 2026, calling on governments to act swiftly and put meaningful safeguards in place.
Gates Warns of Catastrophic AI Risk
Gates told the program that AI poses dangers serious enough to threaten human life on a massive scale. He argued that simply having a kill switch is not enough to manage those risks. Instead, he called for stronger government oversight and coordinated global action.
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The billionaire philanthropist also addressed the difficulty of achieving international cooperation on AI safety. He described global collaboration on the issue as even harder to achieve than the negotiations that produced major nuclear arms agreements. That comparison underlines how seriously Gates views the challenge ahead.
Global Cooperation Seen as Critical
During the same broadcast, U.S. Representative Ro Khanna said he is open to a formal treaty between the United States and China on artificial intelligence. Khanna’s position reflects a growing view among some lawmakers that international agreements may be necessary to prevent AI from becoming a destabilizing force.
Meanwhile, a group of independent Senate candidates used the moment to criticize Congress directly. They called out what they described as reckless inaction by legislators who have so far failed to pass any meaningful AI guardrails. A separate bipartisan bill is also gaining attention on Capitol Hill. Lawmakers behind the proposal say it is designed to ensure Congress stops sitting on the sidelines when it comes to AI regulation.
Pressure Mounts on Lawmakers to Act
The warnings from Gates come as public and political pressure on AI governance continues to build. Ohio Senate candidates also squared off over the issue of data centers during the same news cycle, reflecting how AI infrastructure is becoming a flashpoint for voters across the country.
Gates has long been a prominent voice on technology risk. However, his latest comments represent one of his most direct and alarming assessments of AI to date. With no federal AI safety legislation currently in place, his call for government safeguards adds significant weight to an already urgent debate.
