Gates Urges Mandatory AI Safeguards as Trump Opposes Rules

Bill Gates urged the U.S. government to require artificial intelligence companies to adopt safeguards and monitoring, arguing that voluntary industry measures are insufficient and that oversight need not dramatically slow development. President Donald Trump has opposed new restrictions, saying they could weaken the United States’ position against China. Gates made the case in an interview on NBC’s Meet the Press that aired Sunday, September 27. He said lawmakers and law enforcement should help determine what protections AI systems need and make them mandatory. He also called for monitoring that would allow activity involving advanced systems to be reviewed, rather than relying on a shutdown mechanism alone. Gates said required measures would add some operational burden for companies but would not substantially impede the industry. That is his assessment; the reports do not establish how particular rules would affect development. He argued that governments need a role because powerful AI tools could be misused, including for cyberattacks or biological threats, and public authorities may lack expertise to identify dangerous capabilities.