Science & Tech · AI · 1 day ago
Bill Gates warns AI could replace jobs and become harder to control
Bill Gates says AI could eventually replace almost every kind of human work, from office jobs to physical tasks as humanoid robots develop.
The Microsoft co-founder says the changes could affect workers and government tax income, so he has suggested reserving some jobs for people and taxing AI use.
He also warns that powerful AI could help criminals launch cyberattacks or carry out bioterrorism, including by finding software weaknesses.
A further concern is that advanced systems could become difficult for people to control.
Gates wants governments to require oversight of the most capable AI models and ensure their safety protections remain in place.
He has also pointed to possible benefits, including faster drug development and better access to health care.
The challenge ahead is to develop useful AI while protecting people from its risks, though Gates says society is not yet ready for the changes.
Bill Gates warned that artificial intelligence could replace nearly all kinds of human work and become harder to control.
He said office and intellectual jobs could be affected first, followed by physical work as humanoid robots develop.
Gates said developers may need to tackle AI control risks seriously within three to four years.
He proposed measures including taxes on AI use and reserving some jobs for people to help address disruption.
He also warned of risks including cyberattacks, bioterrorism and advanced systems acting against human interests.
- Who
- Bill Gates, Microsoft co-founder.
- What
- He warned that AI could replace many jobs and become harder to control.
- When
- He said control risks may need serious attention within three to four years. The articles were published on October 25 and 26, 2026.
- Where
- In interviews with The Observer, The Telegraph and The Verge.
- Why
- Gates said AI could displace workers and create risks such as cyberattacks, bioterrorism and loss of human control.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Gates published an essay saying that even under the best scenario, the transition to a new AI era would be highly turbulent.
Gates proposed reserving some jobs for people to protect them from replacement by AI.
Gates said his programming skills had effectively lost their former value.
Gates said developers would have to address the problem of controlling AI seriously.
- Control risk horizon
- Three to four years
- Potential disruption period
- About 20 years
- Possible AI tax
- A levy on tokens used to process data
- Threats identified
- Cyberattacks and bioterrorism
- Gates’s proposed tax payment
- $40 billion
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What people are saying
People are creating a new type of intelligence that, escaping biological limitations, will surpass what human consciousness has achieved without artificial intelligence
evolutionary event