Microsoft co-founder and billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates on Wednesday called on the U.S.to be a leader in the global regulation of artificial intelligence growth but warned that getting countries to agree on a global framework for AI regulation could be “more difficult” than Cold War-era negotiations on limiting the development of nuclear weapons.“This is more difficult than that was,” Gates told NBC News’ “Meet the Press,” during a wide-ranging discussion about AI that aired on Sunday.His remarks came as he spoke about President Donald Trump’s stance against regulating AI.
The president earlier this month rejected calls for the federal government to impose guardrails on companies building AI models, saying in a post on Truth Social, “WHOEVER WINS AI, WINS! We are leading China, and all others, and will continue to do so.” Gates, in Wednesday’s interview, argued that regulating AI companies by imposing monitoring systems would not hamper the U.S.in any race with China to develop superior technology.“What he said is fine, but I think after he hears from me and other people, including that this does not handicap us in whatever he thinks the nation-state race is, that, you know, we will come to a consensus,” the tech mogul said.Gates later pointed to other times the U.S.
has led the world as an impartial figure in coming up with broad agreements to protect humanity.“Since World War II, the U.S.should be very proud that when there have been global challenges, we, in a way that was benign, you know, where we had friends and allies coming along with us, you know, aviation safety, ozone layer, nuclear weapons, a lot of things where we were played the fair actor, not aggrandizing whatever our unique strengths were,” he told moderator Kristen Welker.
“And AI is one we’re going to have to go back to this, ‘Hey, humanity is all in this together.’”The Microsoft co-founder’s comments come as concerns about AI reached a fever pit...