Even Bill Gates believes AI is somewhat intimidating

Bill Gates recalls being “a resilient child.”

“Some educators wished to advance me in school; others aimed to hold me back,” remarked the tech innovator, who has indicated in the past that he might be diagnosed on the autism spectrum if raised in the present day. “I exerted my intelligence to give my parents a tough time.”

This personal evaluation was shared on Monday during a campus gathering celebrating the launch of “Source Code,” Gates’ fifth publication and inaugural memoir. The recent volume chronicles the billionaire philanthropist’s suburban Seattle upbringing and early achievements in programming through the inception of Microsoft, the software titan he co-established in 1975.

Harvard Kennedy School academic Arthur C. Brooks initiated the dialogue by inquiring about what Gates envisioned readers would derive from the book. Gates, now 69, expressed his desire that readers would gain fresh insights regarding “curiosity and experimenting with new experiences—allowing children to take chances.”

He discussed the influence of his parents, highlighting a “fervent” bond with his success-driven mother, Mary. Ultimately, Gates acknowledged their role in permitting a precocious child to explore in the adventurous realm of personal computing.

Gates resigned as Microsoft CEO in 2000 and as chair in 2014. Presently, he is a prominent advocate for global efforts in health, agriculture, development, and education, including the annual Gates Scholarship in the U.S. aimed at exceptional students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

“Source Code” transports him back to the uncomplicated days of university life. Gates arrived on campus in the autumn of 1973, over a decade before Harvard introduced an undergraduate program in computer science.

By that time, he possessed years of experience coding for the emerging landscape of personal computers, catalyzed by Intel’s release of the 4004 microprocessor in 1971.

However, Gates initially dismissed any notion of enrolling in computer-related courses, as he recounted during a recent visit with current Currier House residents.

“It’s too simple,” he remembered stating to his peers.

He writes vividly about his admiration for pure mathematicians—“the brilliant minds at the frontier”—and describes his experience with the infamous Math 55A and 55B advanced calculus courses, where he encountered both academic challenges and math geniuses-turned-classmates Andy Braiterman and Jim Sethna, both ’77.

The class proved nothing short of humbling.

“During most of my academic journey, I regarded math as the most refined domain of intellect,” he reflects. “In the broader context of Harvard, as evident as it may sound now, I realized that despite my natural aptitude, there were individuals who surpassed me. And two of them were my closest friends.”

Despite facing some setbacks to his self-esteem, Gates’ belief in the potential of microcomputing remained unwavering throughout his two and a half years at Harvard. All the while, he and his high school companion, the late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, aimed to start a company together.

“He wanted to focus on hardware; I was interested in software,” Gates recalled on Monday.

A pivotal moment arrived during Gates’ sophomore year. By that time, Allen was employed in Boston as a low-ranking programmer at Honeywell. One snowy afternoon, just before the holiday break, Allen rushed into the room Gates shared with Braiterman at Currier House. Allen had sprinted straight to the Quad from the now-defunct Out of Town News booth near the Harvard Square T stop.

In Allen’s grasp was the January 1975 edition of Popular Electronics, featuring a large image of the Altair 8800 on its cover.

“He had purchased this publication showcasing the very first personal computer on its front page,” Gates reminisced. “It was a frigid Boston winter day, and he exclaimed, ‘Here we are freezing, and the revolution has occurred without us.’”

Gates would exit Harvard that year to launch Microsoft, and five years later, the company would ink a deal with IBM to create the operating system for its first personal computer. The company would later develop popular software applications such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

A multitude of hands rose as students competed to ask questions. A frequent theme revolved around apprehensions about the current technological landscape, with Gates expressing a sense of nostalgia for the techno-optimism of a bygone time.

“When we developed products like Microsoft Word, no one voiced concerns that, ‘Oh, no! People are going to misuse it to write kidnap notes or misleading documents,’” he explained. “They recognized it as a productivity resource that would predominantly yield positive outcomes.”

“Do you have apprehensions about how much technology has completely engulfed the lives of the younger generation?” Brooks queried the father of three.

Everything can be taken to extremes, Gates responded, pointing out that once bookish kids were accused of spending too much time in libraries. He further disclosed that only his youngest daughter grew up during the social media age, and she was restricted from accessing a smartphone until she turned 15.

“People often found that peculiar—the individual who contributed to the creation of some of this technology was attempting to prevent his daughter from becoming an excessive user,” he stated.

Later in the gathering, a student stood to solicit Gates’ perspectives on the controversial issue of the future of artificial intelligence.

Gates forecasted, with characteristic optimism, that the “free intelligence” provided by AI would soon alleviate shortages in healthcare, education, and more. However, he admitted the technology was “somewhat intimidating,” given the rapid pace of its development.