In his article on Gates Notes, Bill Gates hypes up the book The Coming Wave by Mustafa Suleyman. The cynical side of me wonders how much this review cost the publisher of The Coming Wave, or if Bill was genuinely interested in the book, or if he did it to bolster his portfolio since Mustafa is the CEO of Microsoft AI.
Bill states:
In my conversations about AI, I often highlight three main risks we need to consider. First is the rapid pace of economic disruption. AI could fundamentally transform the nature of work itself and affect jobs across most industries, including white-collar roles that have traditionally been safe from automation. Second is the control problem, or the difficulty of ensuring that AI systems remain aligned with human values and interests as they become more advanced. The third risk is that when a bad actor has access to AI, they become more powerful—and more capable of conducting cyber-attacks, creating biological weapons, even compromising national security.
He highlights these issues, yet goes on to state that the book holds the containment solution.
I respect Mr. Gates for promoting the book, but if the book is worth reading, it should offer something new, not just a retelling of current discourse on AI risks. So, either the book isn't actually that good or interesting, or Mr. Gates is hiding the safety we all need behind a paywall put up by his Microsoft colleague.
It’s important to note that Bill has an overall positive outlook, finishing the write-up with:
I’ve always been an optimist, and reading The Coming Wave hasn’t changed that. I firmly believe that advances in AI and biotech could help make breakthrough treatments for deadly diseases, innovative solutions for climate change, and high-quality education for everyone a reality. But true optimism isn’t about blind faith. It’s about seeing both the upsides and the risks, then working to shape the outcomes for the better.
So at least that's nice.