Bill Gates Hopes AI Can Reduce “Polarization,” Save “Democracy,” Ignores Censorship Implications

If you’re tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net. The notion that whoever controls and shapes AI could potentially wield significant influence over large swathes of society could be one of the most alarming and prominent over the next few years. In a recent episode of “Unconfuse Me with Bill Gates,” Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, and tech billionaire Bill Gates controversially delved into the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) as a tool for maintaining democracy and promoting world peace. The discussion was aired on January 11, 2024. Read the transcript for the episode here. The conversation explored the idea of using artificial intelligence as an instrument to foster unity in society, enhance global amity, and help overcome geopolitical polarization. Microsoft, founded by Gates, and OpenAI, whose CEO Altman is currently working closely with Microsoft, are promoters of using AI to solve global issues. Gates spoke excitedly on the topic: “I do think AI, in the best case, can help us with some hard problems…Including ‘polarization’ because potentially that breaks democracy and that would be a super bad thing.” In addition to resolving polarization, the two heavyweights also discussed the notion of AI potentially acting as a peacemaking tool. Gates said, “Whether AI can help us go to war less, be less polarized; you’d think as you drive intelligence…I’d love to have people working on the hardest human problems, like whether we get along with each other. I think that would be…Bill Gates Hopes AI Can Reduce “Polarization,” Save “Democracy,” Ignores Censorship Implications