Bill Gates: AI Can Help Poorer Nations Advance
AI can play a vital role in helping poorer countries improve healthcare, education, and agriculture, said Gates Foundation chairman Bill Gates during a fireside chat on May 6, hosted by Singapore’s Infocomm Media Development Authority. Gates highlighted how AI tools could serve as virtual doctors where access to medical services is limited. These tools, available even on low-cost phones, could deliver medical guidance in local languages.
The Gates Foundation, with US$69 billion in assets, supports global health and education efforts. Gates emphasized that while advanced healthcare has long been a privilege of wealthy nations, AI can democratize access. In agriculture, AI could help farmers adapt to climate change.
However, expanding these benefits will require more philanthropic investment. Gates also stressed the need for greater funding for diseases affecting poorer regions, like malaria and rotavirus, which still claim hundreds of thousands of lives annually.
He noted that AI can also streamline drug development and regulatory approval processes. Reflecting on his tech journey, Gates said AI’s growing accessibility mirrors the computing revolution he’s witnessed over decades. Cooperation among global leaders, he added, is essential to solving shared challenges.