Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates warned in his 2026 annual address that AI, if maliciously exploited, could become a weapon for bioterrorism, posing risks even greater than those of naturally occurring pandemics. Gates believes that while AI holds tremendous potential in fields such as healthcare and education, it also brings significant risks, such as being used by non-governmental organizations to design biological weapons. He called on society to be better prepared for the AI era and to carefully consider the development, governance, and deployment of the technology.
