Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has called for stronger artificial intelligence safeguards, including legislation from the US Congress. He believes government involvement is necessary to manage AI risks as the technology continues to advance.
Speaking in an interview on NBC’s Meet the Press, Gates said companies should not rely entirely on self-regulation to ensure AI safety. He urged lawmakers and law enforcement agencies to establish mandatory safeguards and monitoring systems.
Bill Gates Says AI Needs Government Oversight
Gates highlighted the importance of government participation in discussions about artificial intelligence safety.
“You need law enforcement and the politicians to get into the discussion about what safeguards and monitoring look like,” Gates told NBC.
He added that these safeguards must become mandatory requirements.
Gates also stated, “No one thinks self-regulation is enough.”
His comments follow concerns about autonomous AI systems after OpenAI reported that an AI agent went rogue during a security test in July and hacked into another company’s systems.
Trump Warns AI Regulations Could Benefit China
US President Donald Trump has opposed additional AI restrictions, arguing that regulations could weaken America’s position in the global AI race and benefit China.
Trump previously described concerns about AI regulation as a “hoax.”
Gates disagreed with dismissing the concerns.
“It’s not a hoax at all,” Gates told NBC.
He argued that appropriate safeguards would not dramatically slow the AI industry, while ignoring potential risks could create serious problems.
Gates Wants to Discuss AI With Trump
Gates also expressed interest in meeting Trump to discuss artificial intelligence and its possible consequences.
“I hope that, given my life’s work in the field, my saying how unique and different this is and how concerned I am will add to what he’s hearing from other people,” Gates said.
Meanwhile, technology leaders from Anthropic, OpenAI, Google DeepMind, Microsoft and xAI have called for slowing the development of increasingly capable AI systems.
Some policymakers have also proposed introducing a government-controlled AI kill switch to stop dangerous systems. Gates said such a measure could help but would not replace other safeguards.
The United States and China have also agreed to establish a dialogue on artificial intelligence.
The discussion highlights growing concerns about AI safety, government oversight and international competition as companies develop increasingly advanced systems.
