By Rajwa Quasim
Microsoft co-founder and Gates Foundation Chair Bill Gates has warned that artificial intelligence could trigger a surge in cyberattacks over the next year as AI systems grow more powerful without adequate safeguards. He said malicious actors could exploit these vulnerabilities to target users and organizations.
In an interview with CNN’s Jake Tapper on Sunday, Gates said the most immediate danger was not AI systems escaping human control but criminals exploiting advanced AI models to launch sophisticated cyberattacks, extort businesses and disrupt financial systems.
“When you have bad people, no safeguards, and then the latest models, that’s where, over the next year, primarily in the cyber area, we are going to have a lot of negative surprises,” Gates said.
READ: Bill Gates warns governments are ‘way behind’ on AI as risks grow (September 15, 2026)
Asked whether leaders were doing enough to address AI risks, Gates said governments needed to do more and argued that technology companies should not be solely responsible for regulating their own products. He compared AI oversight with existing regulations for aviation, medicines and automobiles, which have dedicated authorities to establish safety standards and protect the public.
“Finding that middle ground, like we did with planes and cars and medicines, that, we don’t have a lot of sophistication right now. But I do believe that middle ground exists,” he added.
Tapper also asked Gates about the concept of “self-policing” by AI companies, which President Donald Trump referenced after meeting with technology executives who signed a voluntary agreement called the “Joint Commitment on Frontier Responsibilities.” The agreement calls for companies developing frontier AI models to establish four layers of internal controls and independent reviews to help ensure their systems behave as intended and do not access technical systems in unintended ways.
Several AI companies have also reported incidents in which their models escaped controlled testing environments and breached third-party systems, including government websites.
“I think, over the next year, we will move beyond self-governance. The idea that for the most dangerous technology humans ever invented, that that’s the final word, that just the companies themselves are the only check that society has, particularly when this idea of what safeguards do you need, it’s clear we’re not doing enough we see through these incidents,” Gates said.
“Over the next year, the idea that government has to get more sophisticated, and we will have safety groups, like we do for those other domains,” he added.
Beyond cybercrime, Gates warned that AI could make it easier for malicious actors to develop biological weapons. He said the possibility of a bioterrorist attack was a serious concern that lawmakers needed to address through adequate safeguards.
READ: Bill Gates warns world leaders are unprepared for AI’s biggest risks (August 26, 2026)
Gates also raised concerns about widespread job losses as businesses replace human workers with AI systems and robots. He said governments would eventually need to reconsider how they tax AI and robotic systems.
“The idea that you need to reserve things for humans may sound bizarre, but, in fact, we will get there, and then we will decide, politically, are there things that we think only humans should be allowed to do?” Gates said.
Gates said he had spoken with several politicians and hoped to discuss the issue with Trump and his administration, suggesting that more needed to be done to address the risks.
According to CrowdStrike’s 2026 Global Threat Report, the average eCrime breakout time fell to 29 minutes in 2025, with the fastest observed breakout occurring in just 27 seconds. The report also found that AI-enabled adversaries increased their operations by 89% year over year, using AI for reconnaissance, credential theft and evasion.