Bill Gates has warned that unchecked AI could lead to “a billion deaths”, but a Guardian columnist questions whether his judgment should be trusted given his past association with Jeffrey Epstein.
Gates returns with dire AI warning
In an interview with NBC on Sunday, the Microsoft co-founder declared that AI could cause “a billion deaths” if left unchecked. The warning marks Gates’s re-emergence into public discourse after his carefully cultivated image was tarnished by revelations of his connection to Epstein.
Arwa Mahdawi, a Guardian columnist, writes that while Gates “knows a thing or two about technology”, she is tired of hearing about hypothetical dangers of AI when the technology is being used to kill people today. She suggests Gates should instead address Microsoft’s role in the “AI-enabled destruction of Gaza”.
Epstein connection raises questions
Mahdawi also highlights that Gates met with Epstein on several occasions after being introduced to him in 2011, three years after Epstein pleaded guilty to charges including solicitation of prostitution from a minor. Gates, who has not been accused of involvement in Epstein’s crimes, has said he was “aware that Epstein had faced prior legal issues” but did not understand their extent.
The columnist notes that Gates’s team uses a custom-size mannequin to test his outfits, aiming, according to the Wall Street Journal, “to depict someone calm and approachable, like Mister Rogers”. She argues this contradicts his association with a sex offender.
Gates’s excuses and credibility
Gates has also said Epstein “knew a lot of very rich people and [claimed he] could get them to give money to global health”. Mahdawi points out that the 17th richest man in the world could have found wealthy donors himself, rather than relying on a financier with mysterious funds.
While not accusing Gates of anything nefarious, Mahdawi concludes that if his Epstein excuses are taken at face value, he appears foolish. She suggests that if his judgment on Epstein cannot be trusted, his proclamations about the future of humanity should also be questioned.
