--- title: "Bill Gates, Who Could Afford a Private Army of Researchers, Says He Does His Research Using ChatGPT, Which Makes Mistakes Constantly" description: "Bill Gates, the seventh-richest man in the world, has come out as a major ChatGPT stan, admitting that he uses it for personal research." date: "2024-09-07" modified: "2024-09-07" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/bill-gates-chatgpt-research" categories: - "Artificial Intelligence" - "OpenAI" tags: - "Bill Gates" - "chatgpt" - "microsoft" - "OpenAI" --- # Bill Gates, Who Could Afford a Private Army of Researchers, Says He Does His Research Using ChatGPT, Which Makes Mistakes Constantly ![Bill Gates, the seventh-richest man in the world, has come out as a major ChatGPT stan, admitting that he uses it for personal research.]() *\Image: Tom Weller / VOIGT via Getty\* The [seventh-richest man in the world]() has come out as a major ChatGPT stan, admitting that he uses it for personal research. In a wide-ranging [interview with *The Verge*](), Microsoft cofounder Bill Gates explained that he often uses the [OpenAI]() chatbot to learn things. "You know, I’m often learning about topics, and ChatGPT is an excellent way to get explanations for specific questions," Gates told reporter Justine Calma. "I’m often writing things, and it’s a huge help in writing." This admission is stunning on a few levels, not least that as a mega-billionaire, the philanthropist has access to the resources to fund an entire wing of researchers and fact-checkers to locate and contextualize any imaginable information he'd want. Beyond that obvious context, Gates saying he uses ChatGPT to learn about "topics" — which is, we have to admit, an extremely [Zuckerbergian statement]() — is bizarre given ChatGPT's propensity for [spewing out factual inaccuracies](). Known in the AI industry as "hallucinating" — though some experts prefer the term "[bullshitting]()" — this truth-telling issue [spans all chatbots]() and other large-language models despite ample attempts to refine them. If it were a main character in a book or film, ChatGPT would be considered an [unreliable narrator]() due to its problem with fibbing and fudging — but for some reason, this doesn't seem to trouble Gates. Later in the interview, Gates made another telling acknowledgement related to AI. When asked whether he thinks Microsoft should expand its [multi-billion-dollar partnership with OpenAI]() or "invest in its own tech," the [admitted Jeffrey Epstein acquaintance]() noted that he's still an advisor to the corporation he helped start, despite [leaving it in 2021]() during an investigation into a relationship he had with a staffer. "I’m an adviser to Microsoft," Gates said plainly. "It’s strengthening the OpenAI relationship, doing a lot of its own. I mean, the amount of investment by Microsoft and others in the field, it’s hard to overstate." Though he didn't get into details about his advisory role, [*Business Insider* revealed]() earlier this year that Gates was still quietly calling shots at Microsoft. According to insiders that *BI* spoke with, the billionaire was a major force behind the tech giant's AI investments and has been instrumental in maintaining its relationship with OpenAI CEO and cofounder Sam Altman. Either of these sound bytes from the interview, which *The Verge* undertook ahead of the release of a Netflix special about Gates, would be enough to warrant a head scratch. Paired together, however, they paint a discombobulating portrait of Microsoft's alleged shadow leader who's all-in on AI — despite its [many]() [glaring]() [issues]() — while the tech monolith he cofounded [makes billions off its back](). **More on Microsoft:** [*The Copilot AI Microsoft Built Into Windows Makes It Incredibly Hackable, Research Shows*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()