Gates defends Epstein record while warning of AI upheaval

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has defended his past dealings with Jeffrey Epstein, saying his “record is clear” as he seeks to focus attention on what he describes as potentially profound risks posed by artificial intelligence.

Gates this week warned that AI could become either “the greatest equalizer ever invented” or “the worst source of injustice,” arguing that governments are poorly prepared for the economic and social disruption the technology could bring.

Writing about what he called the coming “turbulent AI era,” Gates acknowledged that his perspective is not entirely detached from the industry. He said he has “benefited enormously” from technology, continues to hold financial interests in the sector and remains involved with Microsoft and other AI companies through the Gates Foundation.

His credibility has also faced scrutiny over his previous relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Speaking to Axios on Thursday, Gates urged people to assess his views on their merits and judge him “on the record.”

Gates described his association with Epstein as a “huge mistake.” The billionaire began meeting Epstein in 2011, years after Epstein’s sex-crime conviction. Gates has maintained that the relationship was intended to secure funding contacts for philanthropic initiatives and that he ended the association in 2014 when Epstein failed to deliver access to potential wealthy donors.

Gates has denied participating in Epstein’s criminal conduct and previously told Congress that Epstein later tried to blackmail him over extramarital affairs.

“I made mistakes. I’ve changed,” Gates said. “I do think the record is clear, and people can just judge me on the record.”

Gates is meanwhile arguing that AI could cause disruption far beyond previous technological revolutions because it can increasingly perform tasks that depend on human reasoning. He predicts the technology could displace workers across industries including medicine, law, manufacturing, software development and customer service.

Although new occupations are likely to emerge, Gates believes there could ultimately be “far fewer than exist today” unless governments develop policies capable of managing the transition.

He also highlighted national-security risks. As sophisticated AI becomes cheaper and more widely available, Gates warned that malicious actors could use it to improve cyberattacks or assist in developing biological weapons. Autonomous weapons could allow governments to deploy lethal force with reduced human involvement, while AI could make mass surveillance and manipulation of public opinion considerably easier.

A longer-term threat, he argued, is that increasingly capable AI systems could cease reliably following human intentions. Such systems “could begin to act against our interests and we could lose control,” Gates warned.

The billionaire has previously issued prominent warnings about global risks. During a 2015 TED talk, he argued that governments were inadequately prepared for a major infectious-disease outbreak.

Following the Covid-19 era, Gates became an increasingly controversial figure because of his involvement in international public-health initiatives. His earlier pandemic warnings and the Gates Foundation’s participation in a 2019 pandemic preparedness exercise became central to allegations that he had advance knowledge of, or had helped plan, the outbreak.

On AI, Gates says slowing development may prove particularly difficult. While he would support a workable international agreement imposing restraints on the technology, he believes competitive pressures between countries and companies make such an outcome unlikely.

“Geopolitical and economic incentives,” Gates concluded, “are pushing too hard to go full speed ahead.”