Bill Gates, Microsoft co-founder and longtime artificial intelligence advocate continues to champion AI while acknowledging its unprecedented rapid advancement and potential risks.

What Happened: The tech pioneer's journey with AI spans nearly a decade. In 2017, at Columbia University, Gates identified artificial intelligence as his chosen field if starting a career today, citing its "profound" potential, reported CNBC Make It.

In April, in an episode of his "Unconfuse Me" podcast featuring OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Gates admitted his initial skepticism about AI's capabilities was misplaced. "I was very skeptical. I didn't expect ChatGPT to get so good," Gates said.

Gates particularly noted AI's surprising impact on white-collar work, contrary to earlier expectations. During Wednesday's "Possible" podcast with Reid Hoffman and Aria Finger, he projected that AI robots would expand into construction sites and hotels within ten years.

Why It Matters: Despite his enthusiasm, Gates expressed concerns about AI's downsides, including job displacement. "When the machine says to me, 'Bill, go play pickleball, I've got malaria eradication. You're just a slow thinker,' then it is a philosophically confusing thing," he said.

The Microsoft co-founder remains bullish on AI's business potential, though he notes increased competition in the sector. "Today, somebody could raise billions of dollars for a new AI company [that's just] a few sketch ideas," Gates told CNBC, emphasizing that success now requires "some unique view of how you design AI systems."

Looking ahead, Gates envisions AI transforming programming through natural language interfaces, making coding accessible to everyone. However, he joins other tech leaders in advocating for careful oversight of AI development, particularly regarding election integrity and geopolitical implications.

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This story was generated using Benzinga Neuro and edited by Kaustubh Bagalkote