By TheDailyNewsHub
Microsoft co-founder and billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates has warned that governments around the world are not sufficiently prepared for the profound changes artificial intelligence (AI) could bring to society.
Gates made the warning in a new interview with Reuters published on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, saying governments need to move much faster to understand and manage the risks associated with increasingly capable AI systems.
“I don’t think any government is nearly as deep on this as they have to be,” Gates said, arguing that policymakers are currently behind the pace of technological development.
His latest warning represents a more cautious position from Gates, who has long been optimistic about the potential of AI to transform healthcare, education and other areas of society.
The billionaire said his concerns now include the potential loss of jobs, AI-assisted cyberattacks and the possibility that people could become excessively dependent on AI companions. He has also warned about risks involving biological weapons and the impact of AI on children’s development and human relationships.
Gates has called for governments to establish national and international frameworks capable of dealing with AI across multiple areas, including employment, education, taxation, national security, public health, elections and financial systems.
In an essay published in August, he questioned whether existing institutions were capable of designing and implementing the kind of regulatory architecture that AI requires. He has also argued that international cooperation, including between the United States and China, will be necessary to manage some of the technology’s risks.
One of his more controversial proposals is the creation of what he calls “Human Reserved” jobs — occupations or tasks that could be deliberately kept for people even when AI systems become capable of performing them. He has cited areas such as childcare and jury service as examples where preserving a human role could be important.
Gates has also suggested that governments consider taxation policies that account for the economic disruption caused by AI and robotics, particularly as machines increasingly perform tasks traditionally carried out by workers.
Despite his concerns, Gates has not argued that AI should simply be stopped. Instead, he maintains that the technology could produce enormous benefits if its development and deployment are managed responsibly.
He pointed to the potential for AI to improve healthcare, education and agricultural productivity, particularly in developing countries where access to advanced expertise remains limited.
His comments come as the Gates Foundation announced plans to commit at least $1 billion over the next two years to expand access to AI and support applications in areas including healthcare, education and agriculture. The initiative also aims to improve AI tools for underserved communities and people who speak languages that receive less attention from current AI systems.
Gates said the challenge facing governments is to ensure that the benefits of AI are not overwhelmed by its potential harms.
His warning adds to growing calls from technology leaders, researchers and policymakers for stronger safeguards as AI systems become increasingly capable.
While Gates’ assertion that “no government in the world is ready” is his assessment rather than an independently measurable fact, his broader concern about governments struggling to keep pace with AI development has also been echoed by other technology experts and policymakers.
For Gates, the central challenge is no longer whether AI will transform society, but whether governments and institutions can respond quickly enough to ensure that the transformation benefits people rather than deepening inequality and creating new risks.