Bill Gates Calls AI 'Alien Intelligence,' Urges US-China Cooperation
60 sourcesUpdated Sep 17, 2026
Bill Gates told Reuters that “AI is kind of like this alien intelligence. It’s here, and we better do like it shows in those movies.” He said “Governments are way behind on this one” and “I don't think any government is nearly as deep on this as they have to be.” The Gates Foundation will commit at least $1 billion over the next two years—part of its $9 billion annual spend—to expand AI access for partners in education, healthcare and agriculture and to build data so large language models work in every language. Gates has discussed AI concerns with Donald Trump and his team and plans to meet Xi Jinping later this year. “For health it’s hard to overstate what the potential is,” he said, and pointed to movie plots where “the US and China and everybody comes together to solve the problem.” What is contested and who says what: no dispute found in the record on the quotes, the $1 billion plan, or the planned meetings. Gates also said “In terms of having access to government leaders, or, you know, journalists being willing to interview me, I don’t see any diminishment.” In June he testified before Congress about his Epstein ties. Next concrete steps are the foundation’s AI spending and the Xi meeting.
Where do you stand?
How it spread
What each side asserts, disputes — or leaves out entirely.
Whose framing of this story rings truest to you?
No country looks ready for the job losses AI will bring in agriculture and clinics so the warning about inequality feels realistic.
The foundation's money for local languages and data in health and farming could help if it actually gets decided by people on the ground.
Bill Gates makes sense pushing US and China to team up on AI rules before things move too fast for anyone to handle.
