The artificial intelligence It has become a priority topic of discussion for leaders, experts and interested citizens, so it is important to know more about this technology that marks the future of humanity. And to do it, Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft, recommends a book that, in his words, is “one of the most important ever written on AI.”
The text to which the philanthropist refers is The Coming Wave (The Wave to Come), of Mustafa Suleyman, which focuses mainly on the rise of this technology and how it is impacting different levels of today’s society.
Although The Coming Wave discusses artificial intelligence extensively, Suleyman does not present it as an isolated phenomenon. According to Gates, the book highlights the “unprecedented convergence” of scientific developments including gene editing, DNA synthesis and other advances in biotechnology.
These technologies, the author points out, are advancing in parallel and accumulating a transformative power that promises to change every aspect of society. As the book’s title suggests, these advances are forming like “a distant wave on the sea, invisible to many, but rapidly gaining strength.”
Each of these developments would be revolutionary on their own, but together they have the potential to reconfigure economics, politics, medicine, and even human relationships. Gates points out that this scenario generates both excitement and concern, and compares it to the sensation of vertigo that he himself experiences when contemplating the implications of these technologies.
In his review, Gates identifies three main risks associated with artificial intelligence and related technologies, points that The Coming Wave analyzes in detail:
- Economic disruption: AI has the potential to radically transform the nature of work, affecting jobs in nearly every industry, including roles that have traditionally been considered safe from automation.
- The control problem: As AI systems become more advanced, ensuring they remain aligned with human values and interests becomes a critical challenge.
- Access by malicious actors: The availability of these technologies may allow individuals or groups with malicious intent to conduct cyberattacks, create biological weapons, or compromise national security.
This last point leads to the central concept of The Coming Wave: “containment.” Suleyman poses the key question: “How do we limit the dangers of these technologies without destroying their benefits?” Gates emphasizes that this issue is fundamental, since, without containment, the risks associated with AI and biotechnology could become uncontrollable.
Suleyman doesn’t just lay out the problems, he also presents a list of solutions. Among the technical proposals, the idea of building a “emergency button” capable of shutting down AI systems in case they get out of control. It also advocates for profound institutional changes, such as the creation of new global treaties, modern regulatory frameworks, and historic cooperation between governments, businesses, and scientists.
However, Gates admits that these solutions will not be easy to implement. Unlike transformative technologies of the past, such as nuclear weapons, whose proliferation could be limited through strict physical controls, AI and biotechnology are inherently more accessible and difficult to monitor. Furthermore, their “dual-use” nature—with both beneficial and harmful applications—makes banning them impractical.
Despite the challenges, Gates remains optimistic about the future. In his opinion, the key is to act in an informed and collaborative way while there is still time to shape the impact of these technologies. “True optimism does not mean having blind faith, but rather recognizing both opportunities and risks, and working to shape the results,” he says.
Mustafa Suleyman is a prominent name in the artificial intelligence sector. As co-founder of DeepMindhelped transform a small startup into one of the most influential companies in AI over the last decade.
DeepMind achieved global popularity in 2016 when its system AlphaGo He beat the best human players of the game Go, considered much more complex than chess. This achievement marked a milestone in the history of AI, demonstrating that machines could outperform humans in tasks that required intuition and strategic creativity.
Following his success at DeepMind, Suleyman founded Inflection AI and now leads the artificial intelligence division of Microsoft.
