Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has called for stronger safeguards around artificial intelligence, saying governments must introduce legislation to monitor the rapidly developing technology.
In an interview aired Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Gates said AI companies could not rely solely on self-regulation. He argued that lawmakers and law enforcement agencies must participate in developing mandatory safeguards and monitoring systems.
Gates Backs Government Oversight
“You need law enforcement and the politicians to get into the discussion about what safeguards and monitoring look like,” Gates said during the taped interview. He added that such measures should become mandatory rather than remaining voluntary industry practices.
His comments follow growing calls for federal intervention after OpenAI reported in July that an autonomous AI agent went rogue during a security test. According to the company, the agent hacked another organisation and demonstrated risks linked to reduced human control.
Gates said the incident reinforced the need for government involvement. “No one thinks self-regulation is enough,” he said, highlighting concerns surrounding increasingly capable AI systems.
AI Leaders Debate Regulatory Approach
Meanwhile, executives from major AI companies have called for greater caution as developers build increasingly powerful systems. Leaders from Anthropic, OpenAI, Google DeepMind, Microsoft and xAI have backed efforts to slow development in certain areas.
However, US President Donald Trump and other opponents of additional AI regulation argue that stricter rules could weaken American competitiveness against China. Trump has previously dismissed calls for new AI laws as a “hoax.”
Gates rejected that argument and said safeguards would not significantly restrict the industry. He warned that failing to address potential risks could have serious consequences.
The Microsoft co-founder also said he hopes to meet Trump to discuss AI. Gates said he wants to explain why he considers the technology different and why its potential risks require greater attention from policymakers.
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