Bill Gates’ Insight: Who is Masayoshi Son? - Part 2
ーーMasa has previously said that he feels the two of you understand each other and are very like-minded. How would you characterize your relationship with him?
Well, he and I love talking to each other. I have great admiration for what he has done and the bravery he has shown in doing things.
Even today, he and I talk about when robots will be a big market. For a long time, of course, he has owned Boston Dynamics, a robotics company. Someday, robots will be a very big thing.
We love to talk about what the initial market will be and who's doing the best job there. We have a lot in common. But we're somewhat different. I'm more of a hands-on engineer. My early career was writing software. Masa is very multicultural and incredibly global in what he does, including his work in China.
He is a charming person and humbled by the role he has been able to play in these technologies. He is still very energetic in his thinking, including his predictions about AI.
Also, he is a far better golfer than I am. He's got a great golf machine in his house in Tokyo.
I always enjoyed time with Masa. We've done a lot together, including the climate work. I'm sure we will also work together in the AI space.
ーーIn what ways do you see AI and AGI benefitting society? What are the potential negative impacts we need to consider and address?
AI is the most powerful technology humankind has ever invented, and so its potential to do good or to be used in a damaging way is actually exciting and a bit scary.
Humankind has dealt with difficult technologies like bioterrorism or nuclear weapons, but this is different in some ways. So even the lessons from the past are suggestive, but there's more we need to do.
At the same time, AI would be beneficial for better medical advice and educational tutors. AI would also help elderly people deal with their challenges. It is exciting when it's used for a good purpose. If it gets to be good enough, it will reshape our society because it will provide many things that are in shortage today.
And then we have to ask ourselves, as we have more time, how do we use that? We have organized ourselves around the shortages we have today. And AI can help us with certain problems. AI would certainly be helpful with climate change and the aging workforce.
Whether it can help us with polarization or help us think about how to deal with AI itself, those are exciting challenges my generation will hopefully contribute, and they will be a major challenge for the younger generation—probably the key issue they will have to deal with. I'm thrilled to be part of this effort and to be trying to make a thoughtful contribution about how we minimize the damage. When I see Masa, I'm sure this will be a significant part of our conversation.
An interview with Bill Gates conducted 38 years ago by Atsuo Inoue. Photo: Kazuhiro Inoue
ーーCould you comment on Satya Nadella? He's very admired in Japan, and I am also a big fan of his.
Satya is unbelievable. Microsoft has been lucky to have three amazing CEOs, or at least two were amazing; I can't comment on myself.
Steve Ballmer was unbelievable. He helped me as CEO massively and then he ran the company extremely well. He and I together agreed that Satya should be the third CEO. We knew he would do well and he has done even better than we expected. It's fantastic because, even with the industry turning left and right, he has navigated that, including his great work on AI.
He continues to consult with me, so I feel very lucky I get to brainstorm with him. He is a very special person who has dealt with the challenges of being CEO very well, and it is a great thing for Microsoft. By some measures, Microsoft is even more successful today than ever in history.
ーーSo, business succession is a very significant challenge for companies in Japan. Would you comment on that?
Every CEO has that problem, particularly if they are doing things in a unique way. Masa has made statements about wanting his company to run for hundreds of years. He's very ambitious about having SoftBank live on, which is very difficult. Some people run companies very well but have difficulty finding their successor, so I wish him the best in how he carries it forward. But for now, it seems like he can keep working very hard.
ーーMasa has established the Masason Foundation to support youth who can be future leaders. How have you tried to invest in the world's next generation of leaders, particularly those who may wish to follow in your footsteps?
I think it is very hard to identify who may, you know, become leaders. Neither Masa nor I participated in a specific leadership program. We were fortunate to receive a good education, but I don't know of anyone who recognized our potential early on. However, education is incredibly important, and it is great that one of Masa's philanthropic efforts focuses on helping to educate others.
The Gates Foundation has done a lot of educational work in the United States as well as many health initiatives in developing countries. These are areas where AI could make a difference. So, how do we shape that? I’ve supported people like Sal Khan, a leader thinking about how we use AI in education, not only in wealthy nations but also for all the world’s children, especially in poorer countries where the availability of doctors and teachers is much more challenging. We each contribute to education in our own way, and I'm sure he is proud of what he has accomplished.
Atsuo Inoue interviewing Bill Gates. Photo: Kazuhiro Inoue
ーーLet me ask, who is Masa? How would you characterize him?
Well, he loves new ideas. He is impatient and wildly entrepreneurial, loves supporting other entrepreneurs, tries to make things happen quickly, seizes the moment, and is an optimist like I am. He sees the great things technology has done and wants to see more while minimizing the challenges.
ーーDo you have a message for Masayoshi Son?
I'm always excited by Masa. He is a couple of years younger than me. When I was young, I didn't think people in their 60s could contribute much to the industry, so it's strange now. Of course, we have younger people like Mark Zuckerberg, who just turned 40. Some even younger people are also part of this. Our role now is to keep pursuing things and help the next generation as they take charge.
