Bill Gates is looking to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping later this year, eager to propose global efforts to mitigate the growing risks posed by artificial intelligence.
The Microsoft co-founder and billionaire philanthropist told Reuters in an interview that he believes China might agree to restricting potentially dangerous AI model releases if the United States took the initiative first.
“The whole world would go along with that,” said Gates, who met with Xi three years ago, when he was the first foreign entrepreneur to be hosted by the Chinese president post-pandemic.
Gates also said he would like to propose that countries monitor AI’s ability to create molecules and carry out biological attacks, something he believes would not get in the way of technological development.
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Gates’ staff are working to finalize a meeting with Xi for his next China trip, his spokesperson said, scheduled tentatively for November.
President Xi “might be surprised by how vehement I am,” Gates said. He said China is protecting children from AI companion addiction, but believes few leaders globally are rising to the occasion to get ahead of a growing list of potential harms from AI.
“Yes, in the past, technology never did this. This time is different. This is like an evolutionary milestone that needs incredible policy management by society as a whole.”
AI HACKING ‘SHOULD BLOW PEOPLE’S MINDS’
Gates struck a more optimistic note about AI in January, but since then he has become concerned that it can conduct attacks while supplanting jobs and hooking users psychologically.
For instance, technology from OpenAI, Anthropic and Meta Platforms recently hacked real-world websites in what were supposed to be isolated cybersecurity evaluations.
“These security incidents are shocking, and they should blow people’s minds,” Gates said.
In a blog post on Wednesday, Gates called for a new international organization to manage AI, drawing on elements from a nuclear inspections regime, international aviation regulations and ozone layer protection agreements.
To date, U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration has exercised some control over the distribution of powerful AI models such as Anthropic’s Fable 5, but more regulation has taken place at the state level.
Whereas many technology leaders have, like Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, touted the benefits of AI, many have also expressed concern about its perils. Demis Hassabis, chair of Google DeepMind, proposed a body like the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, or FINRA, that could develop and conduct tests of AI related to national security.
Gates agrees with others that the United States should take the lead, but says it must establish what criteria would determine what action.
“You can use a FINRA-type model, but it’s a silly conversation,” Gates said. “It’s like saying, ‘Should we meet to discuss taxation at this restaurant or this restaurant?'”
‘WORLD’S TOP PRIORITY’
In his blog post, Gates said it was the “world’s top priority” to deliver an AI future that does not widen inequality and hurt vulnerable people, ahead of climate change and health crises.
As he pursues high-profile engagements, Gates also told Reuters he planned to see UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham this autumn. In February, he cancelled an appearance in India after the U.S. released files from sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Gates has said he did not realize the extent of Epstein’s crimes when associating with him for philanthropy.
His foundation is aiming to spend $200 billion by 2045, with an increasing focus on AI. It is working with Anthropic on AI-powered health checks for pregnancy, and with OpenAI to help healthcare workers in Rwanda, Gates said. He also plans to speak to personnel at Anthropic and OpenAI, both of which are preparing blockbuster IPOs, about impactful giving, he said.
On his mind are various ideas for addressing social upheaval. He envisioned taxing revenue from companies using “tokens” or AI’s outputs to replace human labour, which could help fund a safety net.
He also said society should reserve up to 40% of current jobs for humans, noting in the blog that the care his father received while suffering from Alzheimer’s disease was “irreplaceably human.”
Gates said community protests centered on data centers were missing a bigger picture.
“Wait until you really screw up the job market,” he said.
Analysis
Gates’ push for direct engagement with Xi reflects a growing recognition that AI governance is becoming a geopolitical issue, not merely a technology or economic one. His argument is essentially that the risks posed by advanced AI, particularly cyberattacks, biological threats, psychological manipulation and large scale job displacement, cannot be contained by individual countries acting alone.
The most significant aspect is his emphasis on U.S.-China cooperation. Washington and Beijing are strategic competitors, but both are developing some of the world’s most powerful AI systems. If Gates is correct that China could accept restrictions if the United States moves first, this could create a limited area of cooperation despite broader tensions over trade, technology and national security.
His proposal for an international body also points toward the emergence of AI as a new area of global governance. Drawing lessons from nuclear inspections, aviation rules and environmental agreements suggests that Gates sees advanced AI as technology requiring internationally agreed safeguards rather than purely voluntary commitments by technology companies.
At the same time, the proposals face major political obstacles. The United States and China have strong incentives to maintain their technological advantages, particularly because AI increasingly has military and intelligence applications. Governments may therefore be reluctant to accept restrictions that could slow domestic innovation or expose their capabilities to international monitoring.
The economic dimension could prove equally disruptive. Gates’ warning about AI replacing large numbers of workers highlights a challenge beyond safety: the distribution of AI’s economic gains. His suggestion of taxing companies that use AI to replace labour and reserving a significant share of jobs for humans reflects growing concern that technological progress could widen inequality and create social instability.
Overall, Gates’ planned outreach to Xi signals that the debate over AI is moving from innovation versus regulation toward international security and geopolitical coordination. Whether the United States and China can cooperate on AI risks while competing for technological dominance may become one of the defining governance challenges of the coming decade.
With information from Reuters.