Invoice Gates is well-known for his unfailing optimism. A troublesome 2025, nonetheless, has put cracks in that trademark outlook. “As of late, my optimism comes with footnotes,” the philanthropist wrote in an annual 2026 letter posted to his web site, Gates Notes, on Friday (Jan. 9). A lot of Gates’ newfound negativity stems from a troubling reversal in international baby mortality, an space lengthy central to the work of the Gates Basis. Over the previous 25 years, baby deaths have greater than halved from 10 million. In 2025, nonetheless, the determine climbed to 4.8 million, from the earlier yr’s 4.6 million—marking the primary improve this century.
Gates, who described this reversal as “the factor I’m most upset about,” highlighted the problem in his basis’s annual Goalkeepers Report in December. The report linked the uptick in baby deaths to help cuts from rich nations such because the U.S., warning that an extra 12 million extra kids may die by 2045 if international well being funding continues to fall by roughly 20 p.c.
Unsurprisingly, restoring assist budgets is one in all Gates’ central objectives for 2026. Whereas conceding that spending cuts “received’t be reversed in a single day,” he described price range development as “important” and mentioned he plans to spend a lot of the yr advocating for extra international assist by participating with well being care employees, non secular teams and group leaders.
One other one of many billionaire’s priorities this yr is making use of A.I. to advance international options and cut back inequality. In local weather change, for instance, the know-how may assist present impoverished farmers with top-tier recommendation on climate patterns, pricing, crop illness and soil well being. The Gates Basis has pledged $1.4 billion to this space.
A.I. may additionally enhance well being care by accelerating each the event and supply of medical improvements, whereas training may grow to be extra personalised via wider use of the know-how. Together with local weather, these areas stand to profit from the “proper authorities focus,” in accordance with Gates. “This yr I’ll spend lots of time assembly with pioneers all around the world to see which nations are doing the very best work so we will unfold finest practices,” he added.
But, at the same time as he touts A.I.’s potential, Gates stays deeply involved about its dangers. A few of its most alarming threats embrace potential use by unhealthy actors, in accordance with the Microsoft founder, who mentioned that he considers a non-government group utilizing A.I. to design a bioterrorism weapon to be a better threat immediately than one other pandemic.
Gates additionally used his annual letter to warning about job disruption tied to A.I.’s rise, particularly in software program improvement, warehouse work and phone-based help roles. Because the labor impression of the know-how intensifies over the subsequent 5 years, he argued, governments should start making ready with insurance policies addressing wealth distribution and the evolving function of labor in society.
Nonetheless, the letter ends on a well-recognized be aware of guarded hope. Regardless of his newly tempered optimism, Gates reaffirmed his perception in humanity’s skill to anticipate challenges, put together for them and act collectively for the better good. “As exhausting as final yr was, I don’t consider we are going to slide again into the Darkish Ages,” he wrote. “I consider that, throughout the subsequent decade, we is not going to solely get the world again on observe however enter a brand new period of unprecedented progress.”
