In an interview with FRANCE 24, Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist Bill Gates discussed the US presidential bid of Vice President Kamala Harris, who is set to be the new Democratic nominee after President Joe Biden dropped his re-election bid. Gates welcomed the prospect of "somebody who's younger, who can think about things like AI". Harris is 59 years old while her rival – former president Donald Trump – recently turned 78.
Gates is co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Asked if he wanted to see a Harris presidency, he said: "I don’t tell other people how to vote because I’m so associated with the foundation that works with any administration."
He went on: "I think it's great to have somebody who's younger, who can think about things like AI and how we shape that in the right way and I certainly offer up my opinions to the politicians who are interested. So it's going to be an interesting election."
Gates also discussed the stalled progress in reaching the UN's Sustainable Development Goals since the Covid-19 pandemic.
When asked if the world was ready for the next pandemic, he replied: "Not as much as we should be."
