Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates warned that AI misuse poses the most immediate risk in the coming year, particularly through cyberattacks enabled by models with safety protections removed. Speaking in a CNN interview on October 11, Gates stated that malicious actors leveraging unguarded AI systems could trigger significant negative surprises, identifying misuse rather than autonomous AI loss of control as the primary near-term danger. Gates characterized AI as more dangerous than cars, airplanes, or pharmaceuticals and urged policymakers to establish independent safety regulations modeled after those industries rather than relying solely on corporate self-discipline. He also dismissed claims of imminent human extinction risk from AI as greatly exaggerated, emphasizing practical oversight over existential fears.