Microsoft co-founder and one of the world’s foremost tech visionaries, Bill Gates, is turning his attention to a new type of technology.
Gates said in an interview with CNBC that if he were to start a startup today, he would leave his software roots behind and focus entirely on artificial intelligence (AI).
“Today someone could raise billions of dollars for a new AI company [that’s just] a few sketch ideas,” Gates told CNBC, reflecting the fervor for AI. So far this year, startups in the field have attracted more than $26 billion in investment, according to CNBC, citing data from PitchBook.
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If the Microsoft co-founder were to embark on this venture, Gates said his AI company would seek to compete with tech giants like Nvidia, Google and OpenAI, or find an area where AI could deliver unique value.
“To really stand out as a small business, you have to choose something unique,” Gates told CNBC.
His shift in focus from software to AI reflects a changing tech landscape. CNBC noted that when Microsoft was founded in 1976, Gates and co-founder Paul Allen were among the few who envisioned a future in which computers would be a part of everyday life.
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“I was lucky that my belief in software made me unique,” Gates said. “Just believing in AI, that’s not unique. So I had to develop a unique view of how to design AI systems — something that other people didn’t understand.”
The billionaire said that entering the AI space at this stage comes with its own challenges. Because foundational technologies are already being developed by well-funded companies, new entrants may struggle to make an impact. Gates told entrepreneurs to focus on how AI can address specific business needs or improve daily life — by automating expensive tasks or generating strategic insights with broader applications.
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At 68, Gates’ priorities have shifted. Where he once measured success in terms of growing Microsoft, he is now more focused on adding value to the world, particularly through his philanthropic work with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and his clean energy investment company, Breakthrough Energy.
He encourages younger minds at Microsoft, OpenAI and other tech companies to push the boundaries of AI. He tells them, “Because you’re looking at this with fresher eyes than I am, and that’s your fantastic opportunity.”
Just as his early belief in personal computing was prophetic, Gates’ focus on AI may again be a harbinger of the future of technology.
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This article Bill Gates Says If He Were Starting Microsoft Today, He Would Focus on This Industry Instead originally appeared on Benzinga.com
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