Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has warned that artificial intelligence could fuel a surge in cyberattacks over the next year.
He cautioned that criminals exploiting advanced AI systems without adequate safeguards pose an immediate threat to global security.
Gates, in an interview with the American media house ABC News on Sunday, said the most pressing danger was not AI becoming uncontrollable. Instead, it was malicious actors using the technology to carry out cyberattacks and potentially facilitate bioterrorism.
“The front that we’ll probably see most dramatically in the next year is cyberattacks,” he said.
The billionaire technology entrepreneur said fears about AI operating beyond human control remained a longer-term concern.
However, the misuse of existing systems was already an urgent challenge requiring stronger preventive measures.
“The real danger right now is not the AI’s getting out of control. We need to work on that, but that’s years away in terms of the big impact that might have,” Gates said.
He warned that the growing availability of advanced AI models, particularly those stripped of built-in safety restrictions, could create opportunities for malicious actors to launch increasingly sophisticated attacks.
According to Gates, the combination of powerful AI tools, inadequate safeguards and individuals intent on causing harm could produce unexpected security threats in the coming year.
“But right now, you’re allowed to take all those safeguards out. So when you have bad people, no safeguards, and then the latest models, that’s where, over the next year, primarily in the cyber area, we are going to have a lot of negative surprises,” he told ABC News.
Gates Criticises Self-Regulation by Tech Companies
Gates’ warning comes amid growing concerns about the wider implications of rapidly advancing AI technology. These include its potential effects on employment, cybersecurity and public safety.
In an August post, he cautioned that the world was dangerously unprepared for the disruption AI could bring, particularly to the labour market.
The Microsoft co-founder also challenged the argument that technology companies should be trusted to regulate themselves without stronger external oversight.
Rejecting the position that voluntary industry safeguards were sufficient, Gates argued that governments and society needed to do more to address the risks associated with increasingly powerful AI systems.
“The idea that for the most dangerous technology humans ever invented, that that’s the final word, that just the companies themselves are the only check that society has…it’s clear we’re not doing enough,” he said.
His comments add to growing calls for stronger AI governance. The challenge for policymakers is how to prevent the technology’s misuse without undermining its potential benefits.
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