Bill Gates Warns of Four Growing Global Threats

Microsoft founder Bill Gates said today's youth should worry about just four "very scary" things. In his view, these are the climate crisis, uncontrolled artificial intelligence, bioterrorism and nuclear war.

Billionaire and philanthropist Bill Gates spoke about the future of humanity during an interview with Stripe CEO Patrick Collison at the launch of his new memoir.

During the conversation, Gates mentioned that there are four threats that should concern the new generations: climate change, the uncontrolled use of artificial intelligence (AI), bioterrorism and pandemics, as well as nuclear war.

"There are four or five things that are very scary, and the only one I really understood and cared about when I was young was nuclear war," said the Microsoft founder, who believes that other risks have reached alarming levels and require immediate attention.

Bill Gates noted that social polarization, the growing inequality between different groups, could also become a major problem. Although it is not included in their list of main threats, it is considered a factor that can aggravate other risks. For the tycoon, fear should not be paralyzing, but can become a motivation for action.

"Exaggerated risks can push young people to do the right thing," he said, suggesting that awareness of these problems can prompt society to seek innovative solutions. One of the central themes was his position on artificial intelligence, as he recognized that this technology can be a solution to many problems, as long as it is used in a controlled manner.

"We don't have enough experts in medicine, mathematics or other fields," he said. "We have an intelligence deficit. AI will eventually make this intelligence practically free."

While some agree with this view and see artificial intelligence as a powerful tool for improving quality of life and solving complex problems, others, such as Elon Musk, have criticised Gates' stance. The Tesla boss, a staunch opponent of unregulated artificial intelligence development, has repeatedly described the Microsoft founder's experience in the field as limited.

Gates' words invite us to reflect on the degree of preparation of society to face these challenges. While climate change, uncontrolled artificial intelligence, bioterrorism and nuclear war may seem distant problems to many, the reality is that their impact can be felt at any time.