Gates Warns AI Poses Existential Threat as Tech Leaders Call for Regulation

Bill Gates declared artificial intelligence powerful enough to cause "a billion deaths" if wielded by those with malicious intent, amplifying a chorus of warnings from major technology leaders about AI's existential risks. In an interview with NBC's Meet the Press set to air September 28, 2026, Gates emphasized that AI represents an unprecedented weapon when combined with human ill intent, surpassing any previously developed technology. "There's never been a weapon as powerful as the combination of people with ill intent using the latest AI tools," Gates stated, calling explicitly for government regulation and oversight rather than industry self-regulation alone.