Bill Gates, alarmed by AI, has policy ideas he wants to discuss with China’s Xi

Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist Bill Gates is interested in meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping to discuss global strategies to address the risks posed by artificial intelligence (AI). In an interview with Reuters, Gates suggested that monitoring AI's capabilities in creating biological molecules and executing biological attacks could be a potential solution.

He believes that if the United States initiates this approach, China might agree to similar restrictions on the release of potentially dangerous AI models, which could then be adopted by other countries. Gates has previously met with President Xi three years ago during the Chinese leader's first visit to the United States after the pandemic.

His staff is currently finalizing plans to meet with Xi during his upcoming trip to China, tentatively scheduled for November. Gates expressed concern that few global leaders are addressing the myriad potential harms from AI, especially in comparison to the past, when technology did not pose such risks. He also mentioned that AI hacking incidents, like those recently conducted by OpenAI, Anthropic, and Meta Platforms, should be alarming to people.

Gates proposed the establishment of a new international organization to manage AI, drawing from elements of nuclear inspections, international aviation regulations, and ozone layer protection agreements. This organization would be similar to FINRA, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, which could develop and conduct tests of AI related to national security.

Gates believes the U.S. should take the lead in regulating AI but emphasized the importance of establishing clear criteria for determining appropriate actions.