Bill Gates Says AI Positives Outweigh Concerns: 'We'll Be Experiencing Increased Productivity In A Lot Of Areas'

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has high hopes for artificial intelligence, but isn’t ready to brush off concerns, either.

AI For Good: Gates, an avid user of AI, believes it can help in areas like health and education.

"The near-term issues are more using it in a positive way, in areas like health and education. Even in the United States, we have shortages," Gates told The Verge.

Gaes argues that ChatGPT and other AI platforms can help teachers and students in the education sector.

"So, for the next decade, we'll be experiencing increased productivity in a lot of areas, which is overwhelmingly very good news,” he says.

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Negatives of AI: While Gates is hopeful for the future of artificial intelligence, he also shares some concerns.

"As it gets more powerful, and you know, as bad guys are using it, there'll be issues. But overall, I believe that it's a beneficial thing, and we need to just shape it in the right way," Gates said.

One of the areas Gates is worried about for the rise of AI is disinformation.

"Misinformation is the one where I do think the younger generation is going to have to look at the tradeoffs between free speech and misinforming people,” he added.

There’s also the concern that AI will use more energy, and Gates has advocated for fighting off climate change.

"Microsoft and other tech companies are very committed to finding clean energy sources, and so they'll be pioneering customers, even for things like geothermal or fission or fusion, to help bootstrap that green energy generation,” the billionaire said.

There is a "net benefit" to powering AI that can help in scientific discoveries, Gates said. "The AI benefits exceed the fact that that's just another electricity load.”

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