Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates published a blog post on Tuesday sharing his predictions for 2024, paying special regard to the transformative potential of artificial intelligence (AI) and the pivotal role of the 2024 elections in shaping health and climate policies.
Gates emphasized the significant advancements in AI this year, highlighting its increasing application across various sectors. He stressed that AI’s role is becoming clearer in improving access to education, mental health and more.
Gates expressed concern about ensuring that AI contributes to reducing global inequities rather than exacerbating them. He noted the rapid development of AI in creating new medicines, significantly speeding up drug discovery processes. Experts are currently exploring AI’s potential in combating antibiotic resistance, managing high-risk pregnancies, assessing HIV risk and making medical information more accessible to health workers.
“This is an exciting and confusing time, and if you haven’t figured out how to make the best use of AI yet, you are not alone,” Gates wrote. “I thought I would use AI tools for the foundation’s strategy reviews this year, which require reading hundreds of pages of briefing materials that an AI could accurately summarize for me. But old habits are hard to break, and I ended up preparing for them the same way I always do.”
Gates also provided extensive coverage of the purportedly humanitarian efforts of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to address malnutrition and provide vaccines to the third world, among other public health initiatives.
Regarding the 2024 elections, Gates predicted they would mark a turning point for health and climate. He warned that the decisions of elected leaders would critically determine progress in these areas. Gates also highlighted the importance of national elections in countries like the United States, India and South Africa, emphasizing their significant impact on the world’s future.
“Citizens from nearly 60 countries will head to the polls next year to elect leaders at all levels of government,” Gates said. “Those countries are home to more than 4 billion people — or more than half of the world’s population. It’s staggering to think about.”
Without endorsing particular candidates or parties in these upcoming elections, Gates espoused a cosmopolitan message, encouraging voters to elect candidates who have an international approach to the issues of the day.
“If I could make one wish for all the people headed to the polls next year — no matter where they live — it would be for them to consider electing leaders who understand the importance of investing in human development around the world,” he added. “History has proven time and time again that, when governments choose to engage with and help people outside their borders, the entire world benefits.”
Gates also touched on the advancements in energy production, particularly in nuclear power, despite environmental objections. He mentioned a recent pledge by the United States and other countries to triple global nuclear energy capacity by 2050. Gates argued that nuclear power is likely necessary to meet the world’s growing energy needs while eliminating carbon emissions. He emphasized the next decade as crucial for upgrading electric grids and improving power transmission, calling the next five years critical for realizing the full potential of clean electricity generation.
Concluding his predictions, Gates expressed disappointment that the world is not as prepared for the next pandemic as he had hoped, despite the lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic. He urged policymakers to prioritize pandemic preparedness before it’s too late.
“Now is the time for policymakers to prioritize pandemic preparedness before it is too late,” Gates concluded.