Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has warned that unregulated artificial intelligence (AI) poses a growing threat, predicting an increase in AI-powered cyberattacks over the coming year.
The American billionaire said the possibility of AI advancing beyond human control remained a concern for the years ahead. However, he identified the immediate risk as malicious actors exploiting existing AI systems without adequate safeguards or protective measures.
Gates said cyberattacks were likely to be the area in which the impact of AI would be most significant over the next year.
He stressed that the real problem lay in the use of AI by individuals with malicious intent, particularly when the safeguards and restrictions built into these systems could be removed.
When malicious actors gain access to the latest AI models without any safeguards, Gates warned, the combination could lead to numerous unwelcome surprises over the coming year, particularly in the field of cyberattacks.
