A 6,000-Word Warning From Bill Gates Exposes the Leadership Pattern That Keeps Crises Unsolved
Forecasting disruption is not enough. Business leaders can move stalled groups forward by sharing costs, running a joint test, and naming a tie-breaker.
EXPERT OPINION BY SOREN KAPLAN, WSJ BESTSELLING AUTHOR, KEYNOTE SPEAKER, AND LEADERSHIP STRATEGY ADVISOR
Bill Gates just released a nearly 6,000-word essay about how unprepared the world is for artificial intelligence. His conclusion: no one is addressing the challenge adequately, and no sufficient plan exists to deal with the threats and risks.
The Microsoft co-founder identifies risks to jobs, safety, and general well-being. He also says that AI can degrade people’s critical thinking skills, something that’s essential for navigating in today’s world. I’ve argued this for a while in my work and research on Experiential Intelligence, suggesting that human judgment is going to be the most valued ability as AI proliferates.
Many of Gates’ solutions require cooperation: taxing AI
Many of Gates’ solutions require cooperation: taxing AI bots, reserving jobs for humans, and creating international regulation between the United States and China.
We mostly understand the individual, social, and global risks. But real collaboration is needed to sufficiently address what some see as existential challenges. And the world has been woefully poor at creating global solutions, whether for climate change or free trade. We have a hard enough time doing coming up with collaborative solutions within our own country.
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The Future Is Clear, And So Is the Broken Pattern
Scientists warned for decades that the Colorado River was overallocated and shrinking. The evidence has been public and clear. Yet today Lake Mead and Lake Powell, its two major reservoirs, recently reached their lowest levels on record.
Seven states spent more than three years trying to negotiate new rules. Then they missed a February 2026 deadline without reaching an agreement. In August, the federal government imposed its own framework and forced sharp cuts on several of the states that couldn’t come to their own agreement.
Source: www.inc.com
