Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has called for governments to consider taxing artificial intelligence (AI) tools and robots as businesses increasingly
turn to automation, warning that the rapid adoption of these technologies could disrupt employment and widen economic inequality. Gates believes the tax system needs to evolve as machines take over tasks traditionally performed by human workers, ensuring that companies benefiting from automation also contribute towards supporting displaced employees. Gates argued that philanthropy alone cannot bridge the widening gap between rich and poor. He believes governments must take primary responsibility for ensuring economic equality while speaking on the Financial Times' Tech Tonic podcast. “The primary responsibility of dealing with inequality will always rest with governments. We can’t expect philanthropy, which is voluntary in nature, to be the safety net,” he said. He believes tax systems must evolve to ensure that billionaires and wealthy individuals contribute fairly as AI-driven businesses generate greater profits. Taxes on robots: Gates has also proposed taxing robots and AI tools to address the financial incentives encouraging companies to replace human workers with machines. In an essay published on Gates Notes, he highlighted that companies pay payroll taxes when they employ people, while purchasing robots can often be treated as a business expense. This creates a financial advantage for automation over human employment.Gates believes taxing robots and AI usage could slow the replacement of human workers while generating funds for employee retraining and stronger social safety nets.
