Billionaire Microsoft Founder and philanthropist Bill Gates called for “toning down the rhetoric” about a conflict between the U.S. and China in an interview Thursday.
Gates spoke with German business outlet Handelsblatt about artificial intelligence, climate change, global threats and success in life. He was asked if tensions between the U.S. and China are a “lose-lose” situation and have reached a point of no return. (RELATED: Bill Gates Says China’s Rise Is ‘A Huge Win For The World’)
“I hope not, and we shouldn’t be. The goals people in China and the goals the people in Europe have and the goals the people in the U.S. have, I don’t see them conflicting,” Gates said. “I’m for toning down the rhetoric but it’s not headed in that direction,” he added.
Gates believes the world should work together on issues such as climate change, terrorism, education and health technology. He said “the willingness to see a shared future in solving tough problems” is the barrier limiting global collaboration. Gates said in January that China’s rise has been “a huge win for the world” and the country should play a larger role in global governance.
Microsoft, $MSFT, co-founder Bill Gates said that ChatGPT is as significant as the invention of the internet.
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He also discussed the future of artificial intelligence with Handelsblatt. Artificial intelligence is the “most important” innovation happening right now and it will “change our world,” Gates believes. “The progress over the next couple of years to make these things even better will be profound,” Gates said.
Gates co-chairs The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the philanthropic venture he co-founded with his ex-wife. The foundation’s 2023 budget is $8.3 billion, a 15% increase from 2022 and a record high.
China is “an important strategic partner” and has a “long-term collaboration” with the Gates Foundation, its website says. Gates’ foundation opened a China office in 2007.