Bill Gates says a conversation with his daughter Phoebe about being harassed online gave him a new understanding of what he calls the internet’s misinformation problem. Speaking to CNBC Make It, Gates said the spread of misinformation online remains a challenge for which he does not see an easy solution, unlike issues such as disease eradication or clean energy development that have clearer paths toward progress. “Misinformation is the one where I, a little bit, had to punt and say, ‘OK, we’ve handed this problem to the younger generation,’” Gates said
“When we made information available, that people would want correct information,” he said, describing it as part of his earlier “naiveté. The Microsoft co-founder said he remains uncertain about the best way to curb misinformation online. AI-generated misinformation was identified by the World Economic Forum as one of the leading global risks over the next two years, according to the CNBC report.
Gates also acknowledged that, during the early years of personal computing and the internet, he believed most people would use digital technologies in responsible and productive ways. he also believes some form of rules and safeguards may be necessary While he recognises concerns that restrictions on content could affect free speech. The challenge has become more pressing with advances in artificial intelligence, which have made it easier to create and distribute misleading content at scale.