Bill Gates Warns Small Groups Using AI Could Target Power Grids and Banking Systems

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has warned that the growing capabilities of artificial intelligence could create serious risks if the technology is misused, while stressing that AI systems have not yet moved beyond human control. Speaking to NBC News, Gates said the immediate danger does not come from machines independently deciding to cause harm, but from people with malicious intentions using increasingly capable AI systems to carry out cyberattacks, fraud and other harmful activities. He said AI is developing at a pace that makes it necessary for governments, technology companies and researchers to consider safeguards alongside the development of more powerful systems.

Gates said AI is changing the scale of what small groups can potentially accomplish, giving them access to capabilities that were previously available mainly to large organisations or governments. He specifically highlighted the risks of cyberattacks, financial fraud and the potential misuse of AI in developing biological weapons. Gates said a group seeking to attack an electricity network or interfere with banking systems could potentially use AI to make such efforts more effective. He also acknowledged the longer-term possibility that AI could eventually become sufficiently autonomous to operate beyond direct human control, but said that is not the immediate concern. According to Gates, people can still shut down the computers running today's AI systems, making misuse by humans the more urgent issue.

The billionaire technology entrepreneur called for mandatory safeguards and monitoring to be built into advanced AI systems rather than introduced only after a major incident occurs. He argued that monitoring could help developers and authorities understand what sophisticated systems are doing and maintain records that could be useful in identifying harmful activity. Gates said relying on a simple emergency shutdown mechanism would not be sufficient because authorities and developers also need visibility into how powerful AI systems operate. He has called for legislation requiring companies across the industry to implement safeguards and monitoring measures, rather than leaving such protections entirely to voluntary decisions by individual technology firms.

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Gates also stressed the importance of international cooperation as AI development becomes increasingly competitive. He said countries such as the United States and China may compete in artificial intelligence, but could still have a shared interest in preventing major cyberattacks, fraud and other dangerous applications. His comments come as governments around the world are considering how existing laws and new regulations should address increasingly capable AI systems. Gates argued that cooperation between countries would be important because harmful uses of advanced technology could cross national borders and affect critical infrastructure, financial systems and public safety.

At the same time, Gates said the risks associated with AI should not overshadow its potential benefits. He discussed work involving the Gates Foundation and other organisations aimed at improving AI support for languages that currently receive limited technological support. He also pointed to possible future applications involving humanoid robots, suggesting that AI-powered systems could eventually assist with activities such as building homes, growing food and providing other services. These potential benefits, he said, make it important to develop the technology responsibly while putting safeguards in place as its capabilities expand.

Gates acknowledged that predicting the long-term impact of AI has become increasingly difficult because the technology is advancing rapidly. He said his ability to predict what the world could look like even a decade from now is lower than it has been at any other point in his life. His comments reflect a distinction between present-day risks, such as malicious use of AI for cybercrime and fraud, and longer-term concerns about highly autonomous systems. For Gates, the immediate priority is ensuring that increasingly powerful AI remains subject to effective monitoring, safeguards and human oversight while governments and technology companies work together to manage the risks associated with its rapid development.

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