Bill Gates Warns AI Could Cause ”A Billion Deaths,” Urges Urgent Regulation

American billionaire and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates warned that artificial intelligence could ultimately be responsible for "a billion deaths," calling for strict regulation of the technology.

Responding to a question in an NBC interview aired Friday on whether he believes AI is powerful enough to wipe out all of humanity, the tech mogul said: "AI is certainly strong enough to move things that can, you know, cause a billion deaths."

Gates added: "History has never seen a weapon as potent as the combination of bad actors utilizing cutting-edge AI tools."

When asked whether legislation is necessary to rein in AI, Gates noted: "Nobody thinks self-regulation is enough."

"You need law enforcement and politicians to look at how you draw boundaries, how you do surveillance," he added.