Bill Gates says the artificial intelligence era will be turbulent, transformative and potentially dangerous. He argues that the choices humanity makes now could determine whether artificial intelligence becomes one of history’s greatest equalising forces or a technology that concentrates wealth, eliminates jobs and creates risks we struggle to control.

But there is another question worth asking.

Who gets to make those choices?

In this episode of AI to AGI to ASI, I examine Gates’ recent article on the future of artificial intelligence, not simply to decide whether he is right or wrong, but to explore the interests, assumptions and power structures behind the argument.

Gates is unusually open about his position. Technology created his extraordinary wealth. His foundation works with some of the worl ...