Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has warned that artificial intelligence will produce “a lot of negative surprises” over the next year, primarily through cyberattacks carried out by malicious actors using advanced models without safeguards.
Speaking on CNN’s State of the Union with Jake Tapper on October 11, 2026, Gates said the most immediate danger is not AI systems escaping human control—which he described as years away—but “bad people” removing safety features from the latest models. “When you have bad people, no safeguards, and then the latest models, that’s where, over the next year, primarily in the cyber area, we are going to have a lot of negative surprises,” he stated.
Gates noted that cybercrime already offers a clear business model: attackers can threaten disruption and demand payment, or create market or betting disruptions for profit. He said such attacks could target businesses, financial systems, public utilities, and potentially cause blackouts or shortages. CrowdStrike’s 2026 Global Threat Report found that attacks by AI-enabled adversaries rose 89 percent year-over-year in 2025, with the average time for lateral movement inside compromised networks falling to 29 minutes.
Gates also addressed longer-term biological risks, estimating that the chance of a bioterrorist attack enabled by AI could be about 50 times greater than a natural pandemic. When asked if governments are doing enough to prevent such threats, he replied, “Well, no, we’re not doing enough.” He emphasized that current models allow users to disable safeguards, and that industry self-regulation alone is insufficient.
The comments come amid broader discussions about AI oversight. Gates has previously called for stronger monitoring of models capable of generating novel molecules and has urged policymakers to treat AI safety with the same seriousness applied to cars, planes, and pharmaceuticals. He expressed hope of discussing the issue with U.S. leaders, including President Trump, while stressing that the technology remains powerful enough in the wrong hands to cause severe disruption.
MORE HERE:
Slay News: https://slaynews.com/bill-gates-ai-will-unleash-wave-negative-surprises/
CNN: https://www.cnn.com/2026/10/11/politics/video/gates-ai-sotu
Dawn (AFP): https://www.dawn.com/news/2036537
These sources are decided to be accurate by YOU and not Prophecy Hour OR Messiah's Branch.
Prophecy Hour is an independent NEWS & RESEARCH MINISTRY run by Messiah's Branch.
We are funded by your kind donations, ANY SIZE DONATION ADDS UP AND GOES A LONG WAY!
For more on how to DONATE: https://prophecyhour.com/pages/donations/
Mission Statements and MORE: https://messiahsbranch.org/