Bill Gates says Trump administration inaction leaves the world exposed to AI-enabled bioweapons
In a Financial Times interview Gates called for safety benchmarks and third-party audits of new models; the White House has not responded in the reports seen.
Why it matters
Gates is one of the most prominent technology figures warning that AI could be misused or slip out of control. He named bioweapon design and attacks on network vulnerabilities as the most urgent risks, especially from open models that can be stripped of safeguards, and said loss of control of models themselves will soon become a serious concern. He praised Anthropic for its frankness about catastrophic risk in its IPO prospectus. Watch whether his call for government benchmarks, third-party audits and large-scale monitoring finds support in the new Congress.
Key facts
- Interview with the Financial Times, 4 November 2026
- Most urgent risks: AI-designed bioweapons and attacks on network vulnerabilities
- Calls for government safety benchmarks and third-party audits
- Expects OpenAI and Anthropic to ship 'two major versions' in 2027
- Praised Anthropic's risk disclosures in its IPO prospectus