Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has called for government involvement in monitoring artificial intelligence, saying self-regulation by AI companies is not enough.

Axar.az reports, citing NBC News, that Gates said lawmakers in Washington should pass legislation requiring safeguards and monitoring of AI development.

“No one thinks self-regulation is enough,” Gates said. Asked whether legislation was needed, he replied, “Absolutely.”

“You need law enforcement and the politicians to get into the discussion about what safeguards and monitoring look like,” he said. “And that has to be a required thing. And it will be a little bit of overhead for the industry, but not a dramatic slowing of what they’re doing,” Gates said.

Gates also warned that AI could be used by malicious actors to cause large-scale harm.

“AI is certainly powerful enough to drive events that, you know, cause a billion deaths. You know, so even though it’s pretty hard to get to 100%, there’s never been a weapon as powerful as the combination of people with ill intent using the latest AI tools,” he said.