Bill Gates Says AI Safety Concerns Are ‘Not A Hoax,’ Contradicting Trump

Topline Billionaire Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates warned in an interview that aired Sunday that AI development without government safeguards could lead to a "billion deaths," doubling down on the warning before contradicting President Donald Trump's previous insistence that calls for AI regulation were a "hoax."

In a "Meet the Press" interview that aired on Sunday, the billionaire Microsoft co-founder said he hoped to meet with Trump about AI regulation.

In an extended interview with "Meet the Press" host Kristen Welker, Gates said establishing an international agreement around regulating the new technology was "more difficult" than negotiations over nuclear weapons during the Cold War.

When asked about Trump's "hoax" comments directly, Gates said "it's not a hoax," but also said he believed Trump could come around to his way of thinking.