Bill Gates Warns Artificial Intelligence Needs Government Regulation
- This technology is more dangerous than nuclear weapons and has the potential to be more beneficial than nuclear energy, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates told Vatican News in an...
- Speaking to Vatican News journalist Roberto Cetera, Gates expressed surprise that technology leaders competing against each other are all agreeing on one major point.
- President Donald Trump, who has minimized the potential risks of AI development, according to Secolo d'Italia.
This technology is more dangerous than nuclear weapons and has the potential to be more beneficial than nuclear energy, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates told Vatican News in an interview published on October 14, 2026. Gates warned that the artificial intelligence sector cannot self-regulate and urged global governments to establish strict controls before serious cyberattacks or bioterrorism incidents occur.
Bill Gates Warns Industry Cannot Self-Regulate Artificial Intelligence
Speaking to Vatican News journalist Roberto Cetera, Gates expressed surprise that technology leaders competing against each other are all agreeing on one major point. Tech executives acknowledge that the industry cannot police itself and requires oversight from neutral actors, primarily government authorities, according to Vatican News.
Gates criticized the stance of U.S. President Donald Trump, who has minimized the potential risks of AI development, according to Secolo d’Italia. Asserting that adding basic safety controls causes virtually no loss of speed while significantly reducing dangers, Gates argued that governments must first agree on the fundamental facts regarding real risks and benefits, as reported by Secolo d’Italia.
Global Hacking Incidents and Cybersecurity Vulnerabilities
Corriere della Sera noted that South Korea and Japan have faced waves of cyberattacks aided by AI systems that automate tasks like vulnerability scanning and phishing campaigns. Nine banks and two churches in South Korea, alongside Japanese firms like Daiwa Securities, SoftBank Corp, and Lawson, have investigated or faced such intrusions, according to Corriere della Sera.
Expounding on these security gaps, Gates stated in an ABC News interview cited by Corriere della Sera that cyberattacks represent the most significant challenge for the coming year. The real danger right now is not that AI becomes uncontrollable, but rather the risk that it is exploited by bad actors,
Gates said, adding that corporate security measures remain insufficient.
Virgilio reported that Gates specifically raised alarms over biological weapons, noting that automated synthesis of lethal pathogens has crossed a threshold giving bad actors the capacity to kill hundreds of millions of people. Such systemic cybersecurity vulnerabilities could allow hackers to disable entire national infrastructure networks, according to Virgilio.
Philanthropic Investment in Healthcare, Education, and Agriculture
While addressing risks, Gates emphasized the need to capture current opportunities in sectors neglected by market forces.
To counter market tendencies to build profitable tools primarily for wealthy payers, the Gates Foundation allocated one billion dollars over two years to promote AI in healthcare, education, and agriculture for underserved populations, according to Secolo d’Italia. Examples include enabling rural doctors to use smartphones as ultrasound machines, providing personalized tutoring, and offering customized agricultural advice based on local terrain and weather.
Vatican Encyclical and Preserving the Human Element
Gates also shared his perspective on Pope Leo’s encyclical titled Magnifica humanitas, noting that the document provided a solid foundation for governing the technological transition, Vatican News and Secolo d’Italia reported. He praised the Pope for avoiding a blanket demand to halt AI, focusing instead on actively preserving human agency.
There are some tasks like childcare, serving as a judge or juror, and in medicine, whose very essence is relationship. We should not hand those tasks over to a model just because it has become capable enough to perform them.
Bill Gates