Bill Gates Calls for AI Token and Robot Taxes to Protect Jobs

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates argues that tax systems make human workers relatively expensive while allowing companies to deploy artificial intelligence and robots without comparable labor-related charges. That imbalance effectively subsidizes automation, he says, sharpening concern that rapid gains in generative AI could displace workers faster than economies can create new roles or redistribute the resulting productivity benefits.

In a recent article, Gates proposed taxing AI token usage and robots to narrow the cost gap between automated systems and employees. Revenue could help sustain employment and public services, while some occupations would be reserved for people and protected from machine replacement. Gates did not specify a tax rate, revenue target or implementation date, leaving governments to determine how such levies would be measured and enforced.