Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates said that he originally hoped that the Internet would make the world more fact-based and rational, but later he realized that the Internet has become a tool for disinformation and "crazy ideas." "I admit that the people driving the digital revolution, myself included, really thought the world would become a more rational place," Gates said at an event on Thursday.
Gates talks about the impact of artificial intelligence on the world and reflects on his predictions during the original digital revolution.
He said that with the rise of the Internet, he once believed that the Internet would "make the world more real." He argued that the Internet will drive people to search for information and empower themselves responsibly, and gave an example of how people can learn about lawsuits by looking up the plaintiffs' and defendants' claims rather than relying on news articles.
The billionaire said that if someone has questions about a certain topic in science, they can "go read the article and learn everything about it."
Internet entrepreneurs like him hope to promote "Socratic debate," he added.
What Gates didn't foresee, however, was how the Internet would be used by people around the world with "crazy ideas." "There are a lot of these people out there. They just can't find each other. Now, with digital tools, I say, 'Oh, you think that's crazy? Me too! Let's get together and get a bunch of crazy people together. Let's just call us QAnon,'" he said.
Gates said he hopes younger generations will be creative enough to solve today's disinformation problem.
The billionaire said he was open to AI regulation, adding that anyone opposed to it would sound "stupid."
While he admits to being dissatisfied with the current state of the internet, Gates said he has a positive view of artificial intelligence, believing it can alleviate labor shortages and make the world a richer place.
"I'm more optimistic about AI because of the short-term benefits it can bring," he said.