–There “absolutely” needs to be legislation regulating AI and law enforcement

Billionaire Bill Gates told “Meet the Press” that government regulation is needed for artificial intelligence and warned the technology is “powerful” enough to “cause a billion deaths” if used maliciously, as Washington and the AI industry consider how to move forward in light of dire warnings about AI’s potential effects.

NBC News released a clip Friday of Gates’ interview with “Meet the Press,” in which the billionaire and philanthropist was asked about warnings from AI workers if the technology could potentially wipe out humanity.

“AI is certainly powerful enough to drive events that … cause a billion deaths,” Gates said, noting “there’s never been a weapon as powerful as the combination of people with ill intent using the latest AI tools.”

Gates was also asked about Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei’s recent essay calling for a slowdown on AI, which argued frontier labs should slow down the pace of their progress and “voluntarily work together to set standards” around artificial intelligence.

“No one thinks self-regulation is enough,” he said about the prospect of AI companies leading the charge on curbing their own actions, arguing there “absolutely” needs to be legislation regulating AI and “you need law enforcement and the politicians to get into the discussion about what safeguards and monitoring look like.”

Amodei’s essay also called for government involvement in AI, though he noted, “Unfortunately, passing laws can take time, and AI is advancing very quickly.”

It still remains to be seen what the federal government will do on AI regulation, as Republican leaders in Congress have downplayed the issue after President Donald Trump came out strongly against AI guardrails and described calls for regulation as a “hoax.”

Gates’ comments come ahead of a planned meeting Tuesday between Trump, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and AI executives, according to multiple outlets, though it’s still unclear what the focus of the meeting will be. Johnson has previously said he wants Trump and AI CEOs to “go in a big room, close the door and sort this out,” and told reporters last week there should be “a deliberate discussion about the responsibility of the companies to maintain safety, and what role, if any, the government has to play in that.” It also remains to be seen which specific AI leaders could attend the meeting, which comes after major players in the industry like Elon Musk and OpenAI chief Sam Altman were at the White House for a state dinner Thursday.

Will Congress Take Action On AI?
Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., so far haven’t shown much urgency when it comes to passing legislation regulating AI. Johnson downplayed fears the technology could wipe out humanity as a “hoax,” and while Thune has long called for regulating AI and introduced legislation on the issue in 2023, the senator has more recently suggested he won’t be pushing for the matter to be taken up as an urgent priority. Thune told reporters in mid-September it was “probably TBD” whether the chamber could pass AI legislation by the end of the year, noting, “Getting anything done in the near term is going to be challenging given the other stuff we’re dealing with.” The Senate leader does seem to be considering the issue, however, telling Axios on Wednesday that Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., who consponsored Thune’s previous AI bill, is working on getting more Democratic support before the bill gets reintroduced in Congress. The legislation, based on how it was introduced in 2023, would impose measures like requiring critical AI systems to be subject to certification, transparency requirements for content made with generative AI, forcing companies to perform AI risk assessments and ordering further government research into distinguishing AI-generated content and what guardrails should be implemented in the industry.

It remains to be seen whether that or any other bill would be able to make it through Congress and not get vetoed by Trump, though Thune told Axios he believes the president is more open to allowing AI guardrails than he’s publicly let on.

Key Background
The debate over AI safety and regulation has sharply escalated in recent weeks, after former Anthropic researcher Jacob Coxon publicly announced on Sept. 9 that he had resigned from the company and alleged, “The people building AI earnestly believe that it could kill us all by the end of the decade.” Evan Hubinger, Anthropic’s alignment science lead, amplified the warning, writing Coxon is “correct” and AI officials “really do earnestly believe AI could kill all humans!” Hubinger said he thought there was “10%” chance of AI wiping out humanity “within the next decade,” and warned Anthropic does “not yet have a plan to solve alignment for superintelligence and [is] not clearly on track to.” The warning ramped up the public backlash and escalated calls for regulation, and Google, Anthropic and OpenAI have banded together in the wake of the outcry and started making plans for an AI safety group. Altman and Amodei also stressed the need for global cooperation and international standards on AI at the United Nations this week, with Amodei arguing decisions on the technology “must be shaped through democratic processes and by governments accountable to the people that they serve.”

Bill Gates says AI companies self-regulating isn’t enough and governments should be involved in monitoring (NBC News)

Dire AI Doomsday Warnings Are Everywhere—But What Could One Actually Look Like? (Forbes)

By Abah Benjamin Eneojoh

The Kogi State Governor, Alh Ahmed Usman Ododo has praised the appointment of Prof. Abdusalam Nasir Naeem as the new Managing Director of Ajaokuta Steel Company Ltd, describing it as well deserved.

adsbygoogle || []).push({});

In a Press statement issued by the press secretary to the Deputy Governor Mr Unubi Emmanuel, the Governor on Sunday, June 8th, 2025 at a grand reception ceremony organized by Okun Concern Citizens to welcome Prof. Abdulsalam Nasir Naeem at Aiyegunle Gbede in Ijumu Local Government Area expressed his satisfaction with the Federal Government on the appointment of Abdulsalam.

The Governor represented by his Deputy, Comrade Joel Salifu expressed pride and hope, highlighting Prof. Naeem’s vast experience, academic excellence, and visionary leadership. He stated that Prof. Naeem’s appointment is a round peg in a round hole, and his leadership will undoubtedly steer the company towards greater heights of success and prosperity.

He stressed that under Prof. Naeem’s capable leadership, Ajaokuta Steel Company Ltd is expected to be revived and reclaim its position as a cornerstone of Nigeria’s economy and a beacon of industrial progress.

The Governor extended his warmest congratulations to Prof. Naeem on his appointment and thanked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, for recognizing and appointing an indigene of Kogi State to head the Ajaokuta Steel Company. This gesture, he said, has rekindled the hope and belief of the people in a just and fair Nigeria under the President’s watch.

Ododo called on the people to join hands in welcoming the new MD with open hearts and minds and pledged their full support and cooperation as he takes on the important responsibility.

The ceremony which was chaired by former Governor Yahaya Bello had many dignitaries from all walks of life in attendance.

With Prof. Naeem who specializes in Steel and Geo physics at the helm, Ajaokuta Steel Company Ltd is expected to make a significant impact on the nation’s economy and industrial progress.

The Director-General, National Biotechnology Research and Development Agency (NBRDA), Prof. Abdullahi Mustapha says biotechnology requires robust regulatory frameworks to overcome regulatory hurdles facing its adoption.

adsbygoogle || []).push({});


Mustapha made this submission in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday, June 26th, 2024 in Abuja.
Prof. Abdullahi who was reacting to the challenges and ethical considerations surrounding biotechnology in Nigeria, said it needed ethical guidelines, stakeholder engagements and technology transfer mechanisms.
According to him, in understanding biotechnology, it harnesses biological processes, organisms or systems to develop innovative products and solutions.
“The benefits of biotechnology are far-reaching, cutting across sectors such as healthcare, agriculture, environment and industry.
“Biotechnology offers environmental solutions such as environmental sustainability through bio-remediation, waste management and renewable energy production.
“Bio-remediation is a branch of biotechnology that employs the use of microbes and bacteria to decontaminate affected parts.
“Microbial bio-remediation techniques clean up contaminated environments, reducing environmental degradation and associated economic costs.’’
The NBRDA boss also explained that in the area of sustainable industrial development, industrial biotechnology promoted sustainable production processes and products.
“Bio-based materials, renewable fuels, and biodegradable plastics are examples of industrial biotechnology applications.
“Adoption of industrial biotechnology fosters environmental conservation and economic opportunities in renewable industries.
“In the area of healthcare advancements, healthcare adoption of biotechnology reduces healthcare costs and stimulates economic growth.
“Biotechnology innovations transform healthcare through personalised medicine, advanced diagnostics and novel treatments,” he said.
Mustapha added that biopharmaceuticals derived from biotechnology processes offered targeted therapies for various diseases. NAN