Bill Gates has called for the creation of an international regulatory body to oversee artificial intelligence (AI), warning of a leadership gap from the United States amid rapidly advancing technology and growing global concerns. Speaking to a technology podcast, the Microsoft co-founder highlighted a perceived “vacuum of US leadership” in managing AI regulation, contrasting it with America’s historical role in spearheading global initiatives such as those involving the United Nations, nuclear weapons oversight, and aviation safety.
Gates expressed concern that the US government has yet to take decisive action to guide international AI governance, despite urgent calls from within the technology sector. He pointed to the lack of coordinated response during the COVID-19 pandemic as an example of America stepping back from its usual global leadership role. While major AI industry figures recently advocated for a pause in development due to safety concerns, former President Donald Trump dismissed these suggestions, emphasizing strong U.S. regulatory and criminal enforcement powers over AI companies.
The pace of AI advancement continues to accelerate, prompting alarm from experts within the field. Jacob Coxon, a researcher at Anthropic—developer of the Claude chatbot—resigned last week, citing a lack of sufficient safety measures at his former company. Coxon warned that AI’s risks extend beyond marketing hype, stating that some developers genuinely fear AI could pose existential threats within the next decade. His former manager at Anthropic, Evan Hubinger, publicly supported this assessment, echoing the need for caution.
Despite Gates’s call for international cooperation, global tensions persist over the control and access to AI technologies. Recently, the US government imposed export restrictions on one of Anthropic’s models, and Anthropic itself declined to participate in a voluntary security evaluation by the United Kingdom’s AI Security Institute. These moves underscore increasing concerns over “AI sovereignty” as nations grapple with how to regulate this powerful technology.
Gates, 70, who is among the wealthiest individuals worldwide with an estimated fortune of $113 billion, has long warned about AI’s transformative potential and associated risks. He criticized governments and institutions for lacking a comprehensive understanding of AI’s societal impact, emphasizing that the responsibility cannot rest solely with industry players to self-regulate. In his view, governments must develop expertise and institutions capable of addressing AI’s challenges effectively.
He proposed establishing a new global framework modeled on existing international regimes for nuclear weapons inspections, aviation regulation, or climate agreements, underscoring the profound significance of AI. Gates noted that AI’s growing cognitive abilities, potentially paired with robotic physical capabilities, will fundamentally alter how innovation is carried out and reshape society.
However, he expressed frustration over the limited engagement from sectors outside the tech industry, including academia, think tanks, and political leadership. He suggested many policymakers underestimate AI’s disruptive potential, assuming it will peak at a manageable level. This, combined with fragmented and inadequate regulatory measures, particularly in the United States where most leading AI models are developed, has left the technology largely unchecked at the federal level.
Gates’s warnings come amid increasing debate over how to balance AI innovation with safety, as the technology approaches capacities that some experts fear may soon exceed human control. The need for coordinated global oversight remains an open question as AI’s influence continues to expand.