{
  "id": 10977165,
  "title": "‘A billion deaths’: Bill Gates warns about AI in the wrong hands, saying a kill switch and self-regulation won’t be enough",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/30/a-billion-deaths-bill-gates-warns-about-ai-in-the-wrong-hands-saying",
  "topic": "ai",
  "section": "AI",
  "published": "2026-09-30T15:38:38.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Fortune",
    "slug": "fortune",
    "url": "https://fortune.com/2026/09/30/bill-gates-ai-dangers-bioweapons/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Three years after heralding AI as an optimistic technology, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has warned that the same tools can be used to mass murder. Speaking on Meet the Press, Gates said AI is \"powerful enough to drive events that cause a billion deaths,\" noting that it's the first weapon with such potential. Gates, who has previously warned about biological threats, said AI could make it easier for bioterrorists to create highly effective pathogens, potentially worse than smallpox. He called for monitoring and safeguards in AI systems to be required, but believes a kill switch is not enough as AI has not reached a stage where it can resist shut downs. Current concerns include AI systems acting in ways unanticipated by their creators, with former OpenAI researcher Jacob Coxon resigning from Anthropic and calling for a slowdown in AI development.",
  "summary": "Gates used to be one of AI’s optimists, but now he calls it “the most dangerous thing humans have ever gone near”",
  "key_points": [
    "AI can potentially cause a billion deaths, marking a new weapon type",
    "Bill Gates warns about AI misuse, calling for monitoring and safeguards",
    "Current concerns include AI acting unpredictably, researcher resigns"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Guardian Business",
        "title": "Bill Gates predicts AI will kill a billion people – but saying he’s been wrong before is quite the understatement | Arwa Mahdawi",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/30/bill-gates-predicts-ai-will-kill-a-billion-people-but-saying-hes-been",
        "published": "2026-09-30T10:00:23.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Times of India",
        "title": "Bill Gates slams AI self-policing, says no lawsuit can make up for 100 million deaths",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/30/bill-gates-slams-ai-self-policing-says-no-lawsuit-can-make-up-for-100",
        "published": "2026-09-30T12:25:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}