Bill Gates on Trump, AI, and a Life of Revolutionizing Tech | Amanpour and Company

这篇对比尔·盖茨的采访，恰逢他的新回忆录《源代码》(Source Code) 发布，涵盖了广泛的话题，从他的童年到他对人工智能的看法以及全球健康倡议面临的挑战。 盖茨反思了他的年轻时代，承认自己“古怪”的个性和痴迷般的专注，他认为如果放在今天，他可能会被诊断为自闭症谱系障碍。他认为这些特质虽然影响了他的社交发展，但却是一种“超能力”，使他能够投入无数时间研究数学和软件开发，最终成为该领域的专家。《源代码》(Source Code) 这本书的标题是一个比喻，代表着塑造一个人操作系统中的输入和经验。 他谈到了一个关键时刻，一位心理学家帮助他转移了精力，将他的视角从挑战父母的规则转变为认识到他们的支持以及他自身的优势。这培养了谦逊，盖茨强调谦逊是一种有价值的品质，呼应了本杰明·富兰克林的名言，即承认过去的错误对于个人成长至关重要。他承认自己在早期与他人合作方面遇到了挑战，特别是与那些与自己不同的人合作，强调了他最初偏爱“硬核工程师”，以及他需要学会欣赏不同的智慧和管理风格。 谈话转向了盖茨在特朗普总统当选后与他的会面，在那次会面中，他主张维持对外援助。他对最近美国国际开发署 (USAID) 的削减表示担忧，尤其是埃隆·马斯克发起的削减。盖茨认为，这些削减虽然在更大的预算中看起来很小，但对全球健康倡议（如 PEPFAR）产生了灾难性的后果，PEPFAR 通过提供艾滋病毒药物挽救了超过 2000 万人的生命。他驳斥了这些削减是基于合理担忧的观点，认为这是对美国国际开发署员工在困难情况下所做的关键工作缺乏了解。他担心如果不扭转这一决定，可能会有数百万人丧生。 盖茨强调了对外援助的重要性，消除了认为它占美国预算很大一部分的误解。他强调了帮助各国摆脱贫困的道德义务，以及实际的好处，例如增加贸易机会、加强稳定和减少非法移民。他以 PEPFAR 为例，说明美国援助如何促进积极的关系并对抗其他国家的影响力。虽然盖茨基金会将尝试介入，但他们根本没有资源来取代像美国国际开发署这样的机构。 采访者提到了小罗伯特·肯尼迪对盖茨和安东尼·福奇博士的批评，指责他们在疫苗和疫情应对方面“发动了一场反对西方民主的政变”。盖茨回应说，他打算与政府合作，包括在肯尼迪领导的卫生与公共服务部下工作。 关于政府中“科技兄弟”日益增多的现象，盖茨承认了科技公司的影响力，因为它们利润巨大，而且容易受到政府监管。虽然他理解他们的参与，但他告诫人们要警惕潜在的利益冲突，并强调政府需要优先考虑纳税人和消费者的利益。 讨论转向了人工智能的快速发展。盖茨评论说，大型语言模型取得了显著的进展，并且它们有可能显著提高白领生产力，并最终改变整个经济。他强调必须确保这些技术对富裕国家和发展中国家，特别是非洲，都有好处。 最后，他们讨论了人工智能意识的问题。盖茨说，尽管它们可能不会体验情感，但它们仍然会在各种有用的任务中表现出色。他反思了自己幸运的成长环境和引导他的导师，强调了他对所拥有机会的深深感激。他深感欣慰，知道软件做出了巨大的贡献。

This interview with Bill Gates, coinciding with the release of his new memoir *Source Code*, covers a wide range of topics, from his childhood to his perspectives on artificial intelligence and the challenges facing global health initiatives. Gates reflects on his younger self, acknowledging his "quirky" personality and obsessive focus, suggesting he might be diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder today. He believes these traits, while impacting his social development, were a "superpower" that enabled him to dedicate countless hours to mathematics and software development, ultimately becoming an expert in the field. The title of his book, *Source Code*, is a metaphor for the inputs and experiences that shape a person's operating system. He discusses a pivotal moment when a psychologist helped him redirect his energy, shifting his perspective from challenging his parents' rules to recognizing their support and his own advantages. This fostered humility, a trait Gates emphasizes as valuable, echoing Benjamin Franklin's sentiment that acknowledging past mistakes is crucial for personal growth. He admits to early challenges in working with others, particularly those unlike himself, highlighting his initial preference for "hardcore engineers" and his need to learn to appreciate diverse intelligences and management styles. The conversation turns to Gates's meeting with President Trump after his election, where he advocated for maintaining foreign aid. He expresses concern over the recent cuts to USAID, especially those initiated by Elon Musk. Gates argues that these cuts, while seemingly small in the larger budget, have devastating consequences for global health initiatives like PEPFAR, which has saved over 20 million lives by providing HIV medication. He refutes the idea that the cuts are based on legitimate concerns, suggesting a lack of understanding of the critical work USAID employees are doing in difficult circumstances. He fears millions of lives could be lost if this decision is not reversed. Gates underscores the importance of foreign aid, dispelling the misconception that it represents a large portion of the U.S. budget. He highlights the moral imperative of helping countries escape poverty, as well as the practical benefits, such as increased trade opportunities, enhanced stability, and reduced illegal immigration. He cites PEPFAR as an example of how U.S. aid can foster positive relationships and counter the influence of other nations. While the Gates Foundation will try to step in, they simply do not have the resources to replace agencies such as USAID. The interviewer brings up Robert Kennedy Jr.'s criticisms of Gates and Dr. Anthony Fauci, accusing them of a "coup d'etat against Western democracy" in relation to vaccines and pandemic response. Gates responds by stating his intention to work with the government, including under Kennedy's leadership at Health and Human Services. Regarding the increasing presence of "tech bros" in government, Gates acknowledges the influence of tech companies due to their immense profits and their susceptibility to government regulations. While he understands their engagement, he cautions against potential conflicts of interest and emphasizes the government's need to prioritize the interests of taxpayers and consumers. The discussion shifts to the rapid advancements in artificial intelligence. Gates remarks on the remarkable progress in large language models and their potential to significantly enhance white-collar productivity and eventually transform the entire economy. He emphasizes the importance of ensuring that these technologies benefit both wealthy nations and developing countries, particularly in Africa. Finally, they discuss the question of AI consciousness. Gates says that although they might not experience emotion they will still exceed in a wide array of helpful tasks. He reflects on his fortunate upbringing and the mentors who guided him, highlighting his deep gratitude for the opportunities he has had. He is deeply satisfied knowing that software has made a huge contribution.