David Sacks questioned Bill Gates' warning about AI-related events causing 1 billion deaths and asked how the United States could prevent Chinese models from developing comparable capabilities.
Venture capitalist David Sacks challenged Bill Gates' warning that AI could become powerful enough to contribute to events causing 1 billion deaths. Sacks, a former White House AI adviser, reposted clips of Gates' remarks on X. In one clip attributed to Sacks, he says there are no facts or evidence to justify figures of that scale.
In another repost, Sacks asked how the United States could stop Chinese models from developing similar capabilities. His comments come amid competition between Washington and Beijing to build more advanced AI systems.
Gates made his warning in an interview with NBC's Meet the Press and called for mandatory federal legislation on AI risks, arguing voluntary industry rules alone were insufficient. He did not cite a specific bill. On The Ezra Klein Show, Gates also warned that AI could assist bioterrorists in killing 100 million people or enable a cyberattack capable of disrupting bank accounts and the power grid. He presented those as potential risks, not events that had already occurred.