Commentary
The public is already convinced the tech industry can’t be trusted with its own creations, says Gautam Mukunda for Bloomberg Opinion.
Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates published a 6,000-word essay on Aug 26, 2026, saying that he would slow the development of artificial intelligence if he could. (Photo: Reuters/Tingshu Wang)
02 Sep 2026 05:58AM
BOSTON, Massachusetts: Bill Gates, the billionaire co-founder of Microsoft, published a 6,000-word essay on Wednesday (Aug 26) saying that he would slow the development of artificial intelligence if he could. He elaborated in an interview with the New York Times, saying “in private, people who understand how good this stuff is, and how much better it’s getting, they’re very worried” but few are raising the issues in public because “they’re now saying to each other: ‘Hey man, don’t say that. It’s bad for us – the next trillion dollars we’re trying to raise.’” He scoffed at the idea of trusting the industry to manage itself, saying “self-regulation on the most dangerous tool ever invented? No, thanks!”The public is already convinced the tech industry can’t be trusted with its own creations. Some legal news last week explains why. A bipartisan coalition of 51 attorneys general announced a proposed settlement with Meta Platforms that obligates the social media company which runs Facebook and Instagram to put tight restrictions on how children use its platforms. The restrictions are weaker than those Facebook’s leaders put on their own children.
