According to a report by The South China Morning Post on August 27th, Bill Gates wrote in a new article on Wednesday that to address the unprecedented impacts that rapid development of artificial intelligence technology has on society, the United States and China must cooperate.
While issuing this call for cooperation, the billionaire, philanthropist, and tech giant also warned that artificial intelligence is leading humanity into “one of the most turbulent periods in human history”. It could become “the greatest promoter of equality in history, or the source of the most severe injustices”.
He wrote: “Those countries that possess leading artificial intelligence developers and control key aspects of the supply chain should begin negotiations and establish common standards now, so that competitive pressures will make it even more difficult for them to cooperate in the future.”
Building the framework I have described requires several years of time, which is precisely why we must now begin action.
In this article of approximately 6000 words, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates stated that countries around the world are not fully prepared for the transition to the era of artificial intelligence. He believes that this transition is different from past technological changes, as the pace of AI development and the scale of its potential impacts are unprecedented.
He wrote: "This time is truly different."
In recent years, there has been growing concern that the rapid development of artificial intelligence has surpassed society’s ability to cope with its impacts. As a result, some experts have called for the leading countries in artificial intelligence, the United States and China, to slow down their research and development efforts.
Gates wrote in his article that although theoretically he supports slowing down the development of artificial intelligence globally, due to the strong urge to move forward at full speed both in geopolitical and economic terms, he believes such a slowdown is unlikely to happen.
He wrote that, in contrast, countries around the world should first gather experts to identify the shortcomings in the existing systems. He specifically pointed out that the three most urgent areas of risk associated with artificial intelligence are: the replacement of labor, crimes and surveillance facilitated by artificial intelligence, and the impact of artificial intelligence on children and interpersonal relationships.
Gates pointed out that China has so far been “the furthest ahead” in establishing protective measures for children who use artificial intelligence. He gave the example of recent restrictions on artificial intelligence-based applications that could lead to emotional dependence among minors in China.
In a section discussing blue-collar jobs, Gates wrote that many Americans are not aware of the rapid pace at which robotics technology is developing, as "many advanced research and development efforts" take place in China.
I believe that by the end of this decade, ‘smart’ robots will begin to compete with humans in certain physical tasks—such as construction and hospitality services.
The United States and China previously reached a consensus in 2024 to agree that nuclear weapons should be controlled by humans, not artificial intelligence. As the two countries compete fiercely over cutting-edge artificial intelligence models and robots, this remains the only high-level consensus reached by both sides on the development and use of artificial intelligence to date.
However, some recent high-profile incidents—such as advanced artificial intelligence models developed by American companies being used to invade software systems—have increased expectations that Washington and Beijing may reach cooperation on issues of mutual concern, such as preventing terrorists from abusing artificial intelligence systems.
The Chinese side has repeatedly emphasized that it always views artificial intelligence technology from the perspective of promoting the progress of human civilization, so that people in various countries can share the benefits brought by the development of artificial intelligence. Utilize artificial intelligence to promote the economic and social development of one's own country.
