Bill Gates is urging policymakers to consider taxing automation and carving out “Human Reserved” roles to blunt the labor shocks of artificial intelligence. In a new Gates Notes essay, the Microsoft co-founder praises AI’s promise in science and health but warns that current tax rules favor machines over people, accelerating displacement. A “robot tax,” he argues, would slow adoption at the margin and fund retraining and a stronger safety net. Gates also proposes legally protecting certain “human-only” tasks—such as delivering grave medical news or roles where rapid automation would upend midcareer workers—then phasing AI in over years. The ideas could squeeze profits at leading AI labs and raise thorny questions over who sets the boundaries and how they evolve, Gates acknowledges, while expressing skepticism that broad industry slowdowns are sustainable.
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