Bill Gates says billionaires should pay more taxes as AI reshapes economy | Tech News

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has called for governments to reconsider taxation policies and ensure that billionaires and wealthy individuals contribute more towards addressing inequality, as the rapid growth of artificial intelligence(AI) threatens to widen the gap between rich and poor.

Speaking on the Financial Times’ Tech Tonic podcast, Gates said governments must take primary responsibility for tackling economic inequality, rather than relying on charitable contributions from wealthy individuals.

“The primary responsibility of dealing with inequality will always rest with governments. We can’t expect philanthropy, which is voluntary in nature, to be the safety net,” Gates said.

He argued that tax systems would need to adapt to an economy increasingly shaped by AI, including ensuring that people with substantial wealth and billionaires contribute towards public welfare.

The comments come amid growing concerns that the economic gains from AI could remain concentrated among technology companies, investors and wealthy individuals, even as automation changes the nature of employment across industries.

Gates also highlighted the need to reconsider how governments tax labour and capital as businesses increasingly adopt AI tools and automation. Existing tax structures, he said, can make investment in machines more financially attractive than employing people.

In an essay published on his website, Gates Notes, he had previously proposed taxing robots, arguing that automation could otherwise accelerate job displacement without generating equivalent contributions towards public finances.

The Microsoft co-founder believes governments could use tax revenues to support workers affected by technological changes.

Gates, who has pledged to give away virtually all his wealth through the Gates Foundation over the next two decades, maintains that charitable giving cannot substitute for government-funded welfare and public services.