AI’s Moment, and Ours: What Bill Gates’ Optimism Means for Building the Future of Tech
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In his latest post titled “The Age of AI has begun”, Bill Gates, one of the world's most prominent philanthropists, reflects on the rapidly unfolding future of artificial intelligence (AI). Calling it the most transformative innovation in decades, Gates writes, “the development of AI is as fundamental as the creation of the microprocessor, the personal computer, the Internet, and the mobile phone. It will change the way people work, learn, travel, get health care, and communicate with each other.”
If the history of technology is a timeline of seismic shifts, Bill Gates has long stood at its frontlines. When he weighs in about what technologies come next, it’s not a fast-following AI news trend. His perspective is grounded beyond disruption, the hype, and all those eureka moments of innovation shared online. In his article, Gates seeks to go beyond the buzzwords and consider how AI “can reduce some of the world’s worst inequities”.
In this blog post, we share our take on Gates’s view on AI’s potential impact across critical sectors, with a particular focus on solving global-scale challenges and fostering inclusive opportunities.
AI for the Greater Good
Gates zooms beyond personal AI assistants and deep into transformative use-cases that can serve humanity at large, especially in low-and middle-income countries, a core focus of the Gates Foundation’s work.
AI, he suggests, can help diagnose diseases in regions where doctors are scarce, provide personalised learning where education systems fall short, and help farmers anticipate weather and market changes to reduce food insecurity.
Perhaps the most immediate and ethically charged use case is health care. Gates predicts that AI will soon surpass human doctors in diagnosing certain conditions, thanks to its ability to process enormous datasets and evolving research. This transformation isn’t just about efficiency. It’s about equity. In areas where the ratio of doctors-to-patients is dangerously low, AI could offer a lifeline providing primary care insights in places where healthcare access is limited or nonexistent. The implications are vast: detecting rare diseases early, customizing treatments through genetic profiling, even predicting viral mutations before they spread.
Who Builds AI Matters
Gates’ belief that AI can reduce some of the world’s worst inequities is noble. However, realizing that vision depends entirely on a crucial question: Who develops, owns, governs, and benefits from this technology?
So far, the AI frontier is dominated by a handful of powerful private labs, turbocharged by billions in venture capital, and guided more by quarterly earnings than collective ethics. If AI is to truly serve the underserved, as Gates hopes, we urgently need a different model. One rooted in accountable governance, transparent and inclusive development, and public-interest infrastructure.
But speed must not come at the cost of safeguards and potentially deepen, rather than diminish, systemic inequalities. For example, medical AI trained on datasets that exclude marginalized populations risks reproducing those exclusions. Without transparent and inclusive governance, AI may reinforce bias instead of dismantling it.
Designing for Impact, Not Only Innovation
The duality of opportunity and risk is why organisations shaping AI must adopt a deeply intentional approach and have a clear ethical compass. AI’s future isn’t just about productivity or speed. If we want AI to deliver on its promise, its future must be guided by critical questions: Who does this serve? Who might it harm? Who is missing from the design process?
That’s where mission-led organisations come in, those committed to building AI that reflects the diversity, dignity, and the lived realities of the people it aims to serve.
It is encouraging to see that McKinsey reports a threefold increase in AI-for-social-good use cases from fewer than 200 in 2018 to over 600 today. In a study of 20,000 companies, 40% were found to be contributing directly or indirectly towards one of the United Nation’s 17 SDGs furthering our conviction in the potential of AI for the greater good.
But this shift is only just the beginning and we need more of it. More attention, more investment, and more bold efforts to apply AI in ways that deliver tangible, positive outcomes.
Why She Shapes AI
At She Shapes AI, this is at the heart of what we aim to do: rebalance who builds and benefits from AI and to what end. We exist to amplify voices, innovations, and leadership of women who are shaping AI responsibly.
Because when AI is done well, it serves everyone.
