Bill Gates, the billionaire co-founder of Microsoft, said in his annual forecast released on Tuesday that2024 will be a "turning point".
In his 10-page letterIn his latest update, Gates expects to see more innovations in artificial intelligence, breakthroughs in infant malnutrition, progress in climate change negotiations and decisive elections around the world.
By 2023, Gates predicts the world could recover lost ground in polio eradication.AI Powered ultrasound could help save mothers and babies, gene therapy could help treat AIDS, and better buildings could fight climate change.
Gates, who has a net worth of $118.5 billion, is the seventh-richest person in the world, according to Forbes. With former Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos announcing his move to Miami last month, Gates will become the richest person in Washington state.
Gates and his ex-wife Melinda Gates have donated billions of dollars to various causes through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Last year, he announced that he would give away nearly all of his wealth through the foundation. “I will gradually withdraw and eventually leave the list of the world’s richest people,” he wrote in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
AI
Gates' AI prediction goes beyond last year's ultrasound prediction.He claims that advances in AI will broadly improve global health while spurring innovation in both developed and developing countries..
“AI is about to accelerate our rate of discovery to an unprecedented level,” Gates wrote.
AI can help global communities combat antibiotic-resistant diseases, help non-English speakers manage high-risk pregnancies, and make medical information more accessible to health workers.
Still, he said, “there’s a long road ahead for these projects.” Challenges include scaling the technology without sacrificing quality and ensuring its long-term functionality.
“AI can make the world a more equitable place if we make smart investments now,”Gates wrote.
Although no longer CEO, Gates remains an advisor to Microsoft.This year, the tech giant has aggressively incorporated generative AI into its products, including ChatGPT Manufacturer OpenAI Cooperating search engine Bing and browser Edge.
Gates predicts that the general population in high-income countries will be between 18 and 24 months away from widespread use of AI. Elsewhere, Gates puts the figure at three years.
Global Health Progress
Gates says the world is on the verge of a breakthrough in using gut microbiome supplements to address childhood malnutrition.
“Feeding infants this probiotic helps shift their microbiome to a positive state so they can grow and achieve their full potential,” Gates wrote. “The next steps are (hopefully) broader regulatory approval and scaled, high-quality, and reliable manufacturing.”
Nutritionists could also look to develop a probiotic supplement that could be given to mothers before their children are born.
nuclear energy
According to Gates, the climate change conversation is gaining ground as more people experience extreme weather.
He said much of the discussion about climate change revolves around clean energy, which increasingly includes nuclear power, of which Gates is a longtime supporter.
「In 2024 and beyond, I predict we will see many new innovations enter the market—even in a field as complex as nuclear energy, " Gates wrote.
That's good news for TerraPower, the nuclear energy company he founded in 2008.FirstThe factory is scheduled to open in 2030 and will be the largest in the world.Firstadvanced nuclear facilities," he said.
At this year’s COP28 climate change conference in Dubai, Gates attended, and he said he was optimistic about the future based on the growing number of climate technology startups in attendance compared to the Paris conference eight years ago.
Overall, Gates wrote, he is optimistic. This decade will be critical for upgrading the electric grid and improving electricity transmission to realize the full potential of clean energy, he said. But he added that the world still needs to figure out how to get to zero emissions.