“Through AI, intelligence will become nearly free,” said Bill Gates, the billionaire philanthropist and founder of Microsoft. Gates, 69, reiterated he strongly believes artificial intelligence will rapidly improve healthcare and education, with tools like AI tutors and diagnostic assistants becoming commonplace.
At a time when the world is witnessing lightning pace developments in AI, essentially sparking fears of job displacement, Gates seems to be challenging conventional notions. “Jobs are an artefact of the shortage… it’s hard to reprogramme your brain to imagine a future without that,” he said, suggesting that societies will need to redefine purpose and productivity in a post-scarcity world.
The renowned philanthropist was in a conversation with Anant Goenka, Executive Director at The Indian Express Group, at the latest edition of Express Adda. In the span of the conversation, Gates touched upon wide ranging topics such as global cooperation, climate change, AI, and India’s growing role in innovation. He also hailed India’s digital public infrastructure, suggesting how it will benefit other developing countries.
There’s more that came out of this illuminating conversation. He acknowledged China’s leadership in green tech, but slammed its use of coal. He advocated for innovation-led solutions for global challenges, hoping technology leads to a more equitable future.
How worried should we be about AI?
“This is a deeply profound advancement that, at some point, will change life,” said Gates. He reflected on the time when he was part of the revolution that made computing cheap. He said with AI, we have been doing the same for intelligence.
Gates said that AI will roll out quickly in education and healthcare. He noted that it was already solving complex problems, however, reliability remains an issue. According to him, once the issue with reliability improves, things like drug discovery, writing software, or even customer service will become more AI-driven. He said that intelligence will become nearly free.
“Intelligence will be free. So you go from a shortage of teachers or doctors, to having as much doctor expertise as much you want or as many brilliant tutors that are customised, personal, and encouraging to your motivation,” he said.
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As a follow up, Gates was asked about jobs if expertise and intelligence was to become free.
“We weren’t born to do jobs. Jobs are an artefact of the shortage. It is actually very hard to imagine this future, because of the whole system of markets and pricing and education, all of that is based on creating the human intelligence to provide for a broad range of services,” he said, adding that as we get away from jobs we get “a lot more leisure time and it is almost a philosophical question about our purpose.”
Gates asserted that jobs will exist because of scarcity. He essentially said that it will become a question about what gives us purpose. When the host informed that nearly a billion Indians under 25 will enter the workforce soon and asked if AI will hinder, Gates said that society will produce more than ever. “Not everyone will need to work the way they do today. We can choose how to use machines. The whole framework of thinking about jobs will shift.” he said.
Geo-political developments
Gates had earlier said that the reason the world was able to overcome Covid-19 pandemic was global unity. However, two years later, the world seems much in disarray with global cooperation harder to fathom. “I think the U.S. is going through a period of reconsidering its global role,” he said, acknowledging the shifting tides.
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“Eventually, I believe it will return to a more cooperative stance. In the meantime, this forces other countries to step up — and that’s not entirely bad. Despite the Ukraine war and unrest in the Middle East diverting resources away from the poorest, I remain optimistic,” he said.
Gates added that his establishment is about to launch a replenishment for the vaccine fund, which is the Gates Foundation’s most impactful endeavour ever. The foundation, according to him, has made significant progress in reducing child mortality. Gates predicted that in the next five years, funding for the poorest countries may dip. However, he is hopeful that the momentum will return owing to innovation and renewed commitment.
Climate change and optimism
When asked about how he remains optimistic, especially even when tackling some of the toughest challenges, Gates attributed it to his unswerving faith in technology and innovation. Similarly, when asked about the world heading to a two degree rise in temperature, Gates said that it was unlikely we would meet the 1.5 degree target. “Probably not even 2.0 degrees. But 2.1 degrees or 2.2 degrees doesn’t spell catastrophe. Through innovation, we can help the most vulnerable countries adapt — with heat-resistant crops, improved warning systems, better productivity. Climate change is serious, but thanks to innovation, we can avoid the worst outcomes.”
Praise for India
Climate change is causing significant changes worldwide, and nations, regardless of their size, are scrambling to introduce measures to prevent the damage. Most of the developing nations are balancing environmental goals with urgent economic concerns. When asked if it was surprising that developing countries were outperforming developed ones in their climate commitments, Gates said that developing countries have never promised big.
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The billionaire explained that energy access and emission reduction often seem at odds. However, he feels that providing energy, even from hydrocarbons, is essential in the short term. “As renewables and nuclear become cheaper, they’ll eventually replace coal.”
What can be learned from China?
China has quickly emerged as a world leader in manufacturing and industrial production, AI and infrastructure development. The east Asian nation has made remarkable strides in renewable energy, electric vehicles and battery technology. In the changing world order, China seems to be poised to outpace the US. On being asked what the rest of the world can learn from China’s advancements in green energy, Gates said that the nation has been investing heavily in research and is home to strong universities.
The philanthropist said that China leads in electronics, batteries, and solar energy, and Indians can now use their blueprint, or even improve on it. However, when it comes to the US, he said that its prevailing tensions curtails its access to Chinese innovations. “For example, Chinese EVs won’t enter the US market due to tariffs. That’s a global loss. Hopefully, those tensions ease with time,” he said.
Philanthropy amid declining foreign aid
In 2023, the world witnessed a record high of $22bn in foreign aid spending, according to figures released in January 2025 by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). However, in 2024, as many as eight wealthy nations cut close to $17 billion in development aid which is to take effect in the next five years. After assuming office, US President Donald Trump signed executive orders to withdraw from the World Health Organisation (WHO) and put a pause on US spending in aid in the next 90 days. Under Trump, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has seen significant reductions, although not a shutdown. Aid from developed nations has been historically considered a vital part of global development and humanitarian efforts.
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In the wake of these dramatic reductions in aid, when asked if he felt pressured to more, Gates responded by saying that he has already committed to giving all his money away. He said that philanthropy from rich countries to poor nations is less than 10 per cent of foreign aid. “Our foundation contributes a significant portion of that. Most philanthropy stays within the country of origin — which is understandable.”
He added that with India, the challenge persists. He said that in the next 10 to 15 years, he will be able to advise Indian philanthropists to consider giving aid to Africa. “But for now, we all focus on our immediate surroundings.”
When asked about how he envisioned India’s role globally, especially with the changing dynamics in the US and UK, Gates said that he thinks the aid budgets will rebound. He said that AI-driven productivity growth may give countries like the UK, the financial space to return to 0.7 per cent aid commitments.
According to Gates, India’s best example is its digital public infrastructure (DPI). “It’s phenomenal — from banking to government transfers to enabling startups. Every time I visit, I meet companies leveraging this ecosystem. India’s contributions in vaccines, diagnostics, AI, agriculture, and biofertilizers are increasingly global. We see India not just as a beneficiary but as an innovator.”
