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Did Bill Gates Fund Gain-of-function Research? · Recode Decode, hosted by Kara Swisher

Recode Decode, hosted by Kara Swisher

Bill Gates says to prepare for 20 years of ‘tumultuous’ AI disruption

My guest today is Bill Gates, co-founder and former CEO of Microsoft and chairman of the Gates Foundation. You may have noticed Bill in the news more lately — he’s been on something of a tour for the past few months talking about AI risk, and how crucial it is that we start taking this seriously. So I was excited to sit down with him and really dig into…

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Notes

Why Does Bill Gates Fear AI Without Safeguards? at 4:15

Bill Gates says the near-term danger is very high for AI models where all the safeguards can be removed, and quite different from models monitored so cyber… Full answer
Why Do People Dismiss AI Risk Warnings? at 8:30

Bill Gates says people dismiss AI risk warnings because past fears about technology, including the job market, never arrived, so the new warnings look like… Full answer
What Is Bill Gates's Fix for Unsafe AI? at 14:04

Bill Gates says the only solution is for government to reach out to the industry for expertise and make sure every model maintains safeguards so the model… Full answer
Did Bill Gates Fund Gain-of-function Research? at 21:20

No. Bill Gates says nobody has ever accused him or the Gates Foundation of being involved in any gain-of-function research. Full answer
What Is Left Unsolved After AI Alignment? at 32:04

Bill Gates says solving AI alignment still leaves the challenges the technology poses to humanity. Full answer
Why Is a Global AI Slowdown So Hard? at 34:09

Bill Gates says a true AI slowdown is very hard because China would have to agree to go along and compliance would have to be audited, somewhat as with… Full answer
Is AI Risk More Imminent Than Climate Change? at 36:08

Yes. Full answer
Will AI Data Centers Raise Electric Bills? at 37:35

Bill Gates says AI data centers will find a way to be built somewhere in the United States without raising electric bills, without using too much water, and… Full answer
What Happens to White-collar Jobs When AI Is Superhuman? at 41:12

Bill Gates says white-collar skills stop being scarce once AI is superhuman, so work such as telesales, telesupport, and help in an accounting department goes… Full answer
Why Does Bill Gates Pick Twenty Years of AI Disruption? at 46:40

Bill Gates picks twenty years as a reasonably safe number for a transition of winners, losers, and a lot of disruption that has to be crossed before a period… Full answer
How Will AI Change Gates Foundation Health Work? at 54:15

Bill Gates says AI will accelerate healthcare discovery and delivery across the remaining 19 years of the Gates Foundation. Full answer
Why Will Lawsuits Fail to Keep AI Safe? at 1:01:50

Bill Gates says lawsuits will fail to keep AI safe because the danger comes from people who take models without safeguards, not from the AI companies a court… Full answer
Will AI Solve Food Shortages and Disease? at 1:16:15

Bill Gates says AI will solve food shortages and disease, including food shortages that are still real in Africa and not in the United States, and diseases… Full answer

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