Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has identified the evolution of artificial intelligence (AI) as the most significant technological breakthrough in recent times. In a blog post, Gates compared AI’s impact to that of the microprocessor, personal computer, internet, and mobile phone, stating that it will revolutionize the way people work, learn, travel, access healthcare, and communicate.
Gates discussed AI technology like OpenAI’s ChatGPT, a chatbot designed to answer questions using natural, human-like language. Microsoft, where Gates continues to serve as an advisor, invested multiple billions of dollars in the team behind ChatGPT in January 2023.
However, ChatGPT is not the only AI-driven chatbot in the market, as Google has also introduced a rival called Bard. Gates mentioned that he has been in contact with the OpenAI team since 2016. In 2022, he challenged them to develop an AI capable of passing an Advanced Placement (AP) Biology exam without being specifically trained to answer biology-related questions. The AI achieved near-perfect results, missing only one point out of 50.
Gates was also impressed by the AI’s response to a scenario involving a father with a sick child, stating that the AI’s answer was probably better than most human responses in the room. He described this as the most crucial technological advancement since the graphical user interface (GUI), which led to the development of Windows and Mac OS operating systems in the 1980s and remains a vital aspect of computing.
Gates, who also co-chairs the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, urged governments to collaborate with the industry to minimize AI’s risks while recognizing its potential to save lives. He highlighted that AI-driven improvements would be particularly beneficial for impoverished countries, where a large number of child deaths occur. AI could assist health workers in becoming more productive, especially in areas where access to doctors is limited.
Gates provided examples of AI completing repetitive tasks, such as processing insurance claims, paperwork, and note-taking. However, he emphasized the necessity for a targeted approach to AI technology in the future. He argued that market forces alone would not generate AI products and services tailored to help the poorest populations. Instead, governments and philanthropy must ensure that AI is employed to reduce inequality.
Gates concluded by stating that just as the world needs its brightest individuals to tackle its most significant challenges, it also needs to focus the world’s best AI on addressing its most pressing problems.
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