On August 31, 2024, Bill Gates called for an AI tax, the creation of international oversight bodies, and the reservation of certain jobs for humans. These proposals followed his earlier warnings about the negative societal impacts of artificial intelligence.
On October 11, 2026, Gates spoke with ABC News and said that cyberattacks enabled by malicious AI usage would be the most significant security challenge of the coming year. He stressed that the real danger is not AI becoming uncontrollable but rather its use by people with harmful intent.
Bill Gates sounds alarm on AI-powered cyberattacks, warns of 'negative surprises' within a year https://t.co/7zzdsTuviE
Gates stated, "Cyberattacks will likely be the most significant challenge we will face over the coming year." This prediction frames the near‑term threat landscape as dominated by AI‑assisted hacking efforts.
He also argued that security systems put in place by companies specializing in AI are currently not robust enough against computer hacking threats.
He also argued that security systems put in place by companies specializing in AI are currently not robust enough against computer hacking threats. Gates said, "The real danger, right now, is not that AI becomes uncontrollable. Rather, it is that people with malicious intent use it."
The interview noted that other leaders, including Dario Amodei of Anthropic, have expressed similar worries. Amodei has committed to unilaterally slowing down AI development to help ensure safety.