By Opeyemi Adelakun
Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has warned that artificial intelligence could cause catastrophic loss of life if powerful AI systems fall into the hands of people with harmful intentions.
Gates raised the concern during an interview with NBC’s Meet the Press, where he said the combination of advanced AI capabilities and malicious actors could create risks on a scale not previously seen with other technologies.
He said AI could potentially contribute to events resulting in as many as one billion deaths, depending on how the technology is developed and used.
Gates also rejected the idea that AI companies should be left to regulate themselves, arguing that governments, politicians and law enforcement agencies need to establish mandatory safeguards and monitoring systems.
His comments come amid growing debate over the risks associated with increasingly powerful AI systems and the speed at which companies are developing the technology.
Some researchers and employees within major AI companies have also raised concerns that the race to build more advanced systems could expose society to significant risks.
Among the scenarios discussed by experts are the use of AI to facilitate nuclear conflict, assist in the development of dangerous diseases or enable other forms of large-scale destruction.
However, experts remain divided over the likelihood of some of the most extreme scenarios.
A RAND report cited in the discussion found that AI does not currently have the ability to trigger the use of nuclear weapons because of safeguards surrounding nuclear command systems.
The researchers, however, warned that the risk could change if AI becomes integrated into nuclear decision-making systems or gains unauthorised access to such systems.
Gates has previously warned that increasingly capable AI could also be exploited for cyberattacks, fraud and disinformation targeting critical infrastructure, including hospitals, financial institutions, power grids and government networks.
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