Bill Gates, once a staunch AI optimist, has shifted to a deeply pessimistic stance, warning that artificial intelligence could become "the worst source of injustice." The Microsoft cofounder has published a nearly 6,000-word essay titled "The turbulent AI era is here. The choices we make now are critical," in which he argues the world is "not remotely ready" for what is coming and that "we are not preparing for it."
Gates predicts the transition to the AI era will be "one of the most turbulent times in human history," with many jobs—both white- and blue-collar—disappearing permanently. He warns that people underestimate the scale of impact due to misleading comparisons to past innovations.
The essay includes rare, concrete policy proposals: taxing AI tokens and robots to discourage companies from replacing human workers, and reserving specific jobs for people in what Gates calls "Human Reserved." Gates also states that if someone had a credible plan for slowing AI advances globally, "I would likely support it."