Microsoft founder Bill Gates has now acknowledged that he was ‘very wrong’ in assuming that making information widely available would naturally lead people to seek out accurate facts. Speaking in an interview with CNBC, Gates said that the had been quite naive to believe that access to information alone would curb misinformation. But now he sees that as a growing problem which is being passed on the younger generation. Gates admitted that he underestimated the appeal of confirmation bias, the tendency for people to gravitate toward platforms and connect which reinforce their present views. ““When we made information available, I thought people would want correct information,” Gates said. “But even I wallow. If there’s a politician I don’t like, and there’s an article criticizing him—even if exaggerated—I enjoy reading it.”Gates perspective further shifted after heading his daughter Phoebe Gates description. Phoebe described how she was harassed online underscoring the personal toll of misinformation and online abuse. Phoebe who is also the co-founder of AI shopping tool Phia, has previously spoken about being “memed” for her interracial relationship, highlighting how misinformation and online ridicule can distort public perception.
Gates believes artificial intelligence could be a solution to misinformation
Gates believes that artificial intelligence could play an important role in combating misinformation and handling deepfakes. He emphasised that AI systems might be used to enforce rules and regulations around harmful content such as incitement to violence or vaccine misinformation available online.“We should have free speech. But if you’re inciting violence, if you’re causing people not to take vaccines, where are those boundaries? Even the U.S. should have rules. And if you have rules, is it some AI that encodes those rules?” Gates asked.Gates also acknowledged that the fight against misinformation will be cyclical, with new detection methods constantly challenged by countermeasures. In a 2023 blog post, Gates wrote: “It won’t be a perfect success, but we won’t be helpless either.”
