Bill Gates: Benefits of robots, healthcare AI will outweigh pitfalls

Speaking at the Misk Global Forum in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia this week, Microsoft co-founder and now billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates shared his thoughts on today's technological advancements, including artificial intelligence (AI). Gates, who has previously warned about the challenges AI could bring, told audiences at a CNBC-moderated panel during the forum that the benefits of AI will far outweigh these potential pitfalls -- particularly in the case of healthcare AI. "We are in a world of shortage, but these advances will help us take on all of the top problems," Gates said, CNBC reports. "We need to solve these infectious diseases … We need to help healthcare workers do their job." Gates also pointed out how AI and robotics will reshape the labor landscape in the developed world. "As we free labor up from things like manufacturing, we can shift it to some of these very human-centric needs," he explained, giving society time to take care of the elderly, for example.