Open Source AI Could Enable Bioterrorism, Bill Gates Warns As He Calls Artificial Intelligence The Most Transformative Human Invention
Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates warns that open-source AI tools could be misused to design bioterrorism weapons, urging urgent global governance as AI reshapes healthcare, education, and jobs.
Artificial Intelligence will change society more than any previous human invention, but open-source AI could also enable unprecedented global threats, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has warned in his annual letter.
“Of all the things humans have ever created, AI will change society the most. It will help solve many of our current problems while also bringing new challenges very different from past innovations,” Gates wrote, describing the scale of AI’s impact as unprecedented—surpassing the wheel, electricity, cars, and the internet.
While highlighting AI’s transformative potential in healthcare and education, Gates issued a stark warning on open-source AI. “Today, an even greater risk than a naturally caused pandemic is that a non-government group will use open source AI tools to design a bioterrorism weapon,” he wrote, drawing parallels with the world’s lack of preparedness ahead of COVID-19.
Gates said AI could deliver always-available, high-quality medical advice and dramatically improve diagnosis and prevention. “Like many of you, I already use AI to better understand my own health… Always-available, high-quality medical advice will improve medicine by every measure,” he noted. He also pointed to AI-enabled personalised learning as a major opportunity for education systems globally.
At the same time, Gates identified two major risks: misuse of AI by bad actors and large-scale job market disruption over the next five years, with early impacts already visible in software development.
“Both are real risks that we need to do a better job managing,” Gates wrote, calling for deliberate governance, regulation, and deployment of AI as scrutiny over AI misuse intensifies worldwide.
Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates warns that open-source AI tools could be misused to design bioterrorism weapons, urging urgent global governance as AI reshapes healthcare, education, and jobs.
Artificial Intelligence will change society more than any previous human invention, but open-source AI could also enable unprecedented global threats, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has warned in his annual letter.
“Of all the things humans have ever created, AI will change society the most. It will help solve many of our current problems while also bringing new challenges very different from past innovations,” Gates wrote, describing the scale of AI’s impact as unprecedented—surpassing the wheel, electricity, cars, and the internet.
While highlighting AI’s transformative potential in healthcare and education, Gates issued a stark warning on open-source AI. “Today, an even greater risk than a naturally caused pandemic is that a non-government group will use open source AI tools to design a bioterrorism weapon,” he wrote, drawing parallels with the world’s lack of preparedness ahead of COVID-19.
Gates said AI could deliver always-available, high-quality medical advice and dramatically improve diagnosis and prevention. “Like many of you, I already use AI to better understand my own health… Always-available, high-quality medical advice will improve medicine by every measure,” he noted. He also pointed to AI-enabled personalised learning as a major opportunity for education systems globally.
At the same time, Gates identified two major risks: misuse of AI by bad actors and large-scale job market disruption over the next five years, with early impacts already visible in software development.
“Both are real risks that we need to do a better job managing,” Gates wrote, calling for deliberate governance, regulation, and deployment of AI as scrutiny over AI misuse intensifies worldwide.
