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Bill Gates warns ‘there is no plan’ for the ‘upheaval’ AI will cause

Published Wed, Aug 26 20269:12 AM EDT, Updated Wed, Aug 26 202612:25 PM EDT

By Hugh Leask WATCH LIVE

Key Points

Bill Gates has called for national coordinating bodies and a new international organization to manage the “turbulent” transition to the AI era.

Gates warned in an essay that artificial intelligence could prove “the worst source of injustice,” displacing workers across white- and blue-collar industries.

But he added that technology could accelerate advances in clean energy, agriculture, health and combat other major global challenges.

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There is “no plan” for the “social, political, and economic upheaval” artificial intelligence is about to cause, Bill Gates has warned.

The Microsoft co-founder said AI could become either the “greatest equalizer ever invented, or the worst source of injustice,” but that he saw no “evidence that leaders, experts, and communities are confronting the challenges adequately.”

In an essay published Wednesday, Gates said AI could displace workers across the economy, squeeze entry-level hiring, and force policymakers to rethink employment, education and the social safety net.

The essay is a shift from past statements from Gates, who works with Microsoft and other AI companies through the Gates Foundation. He told CNBC in October that AI was “the biggest technical thing ever in my lifetime,” adding, “It is so profound and therefore its influence is hard to overstate.”

In his essay, Gates said that new national bodies and international institutions will ultimately be required to help coordinate and safeguard against evolving AI risks globally.

“The challenge is monumental. Even under the best circumstances, the transition to this new AI era will be one of the most turbulent times in human history,” Gates said.

Continue/Read Original Article: https://www.cnbc.com/2026/08/26/bill-gates-ai-jobs-economic-upheaval.html