Scoop: "OG" Bill Gates returns to wage war on AI risks

Axios · 10/15/2026, 9:00:07 AM

Bill Gates is gearing up to dramatically expand his AI safety push , personally leaning on business leaders and considering a major deployment of his resources, sources tell Axios. Why it matters: The formidable, sharp-elbowed Bill Gates who built Microsoft is back, and he's directing his competitive fire toward what he has come to see as one of the most important causes of his lifetime. "I can reach CEOs on this better than you can," Gates told one person he consulted on AI safety, showing an eagerness for combat that associates say is a return to "OG" form. Driving the news: Once a voice for optimism on AI, Gates has grown dismayed by an escalation of model capabilities, alarming security incidents and what he sees as insufficient regulation, sources say. As he prepared to make the case for a far more robust regulatory framework on AI, he conferred extensively with leading AI executives, researchers and safety advocates, including Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei. That process led Gates to see containing AI risks as one of the most important issues he will engage with in his lifetime, the people said. Behind the scenes: People Gates has spoken to called his advocacy a "comeback tour," an attempt to rebuild a legacy that has been tarnished by his past association with Jeffrey Epstein. Gates has said he's aware that some people may dismiss his warnings due to the Epstein ties. "What I did do, in some ways, was very limited, and it was motivated by my desire to raise money," Gates told Axios in August. "But ... it was a huge mistake." However, Gates sees the stakes as too high to stay on the sidelines and believes his Rolodex, foundational tech credibility and wealth can do an immense amount of good. The big picture: This crusade marks a stark evolution for Gates, moving him from a measured optimist to an urgent alarmist. Just three years ago, Gates assured the public that "the risks of AI are real but manageable." He viewed the technology's disruptions as historical paral