Bill Gates says solving misinformation is now young people’s problem

“Hearing my daughter talk about how she’d been harassed online, and how her friends experienced that quite a bit, brought that into focus in a way that I hadn’t thought about before,” he told CNBC.

Gates, who cofounded Microsoft in 1975, told CNBC he initially believed people would use computers and the internet responsibly.

“You know, my naivete that when we made information available, people would want correct information,” he said.

Gates added that people will seek out “correct information” for things like medical advice but can also fall victim to confirmation bias.

“Even I will wallow. Let’s say there’s a politician I don’t like, and there’s some article online criticizing him a little bit,” he told CNBC. “I’m like, ‘Oh, that’s such a good critique [and] I enjoyed reading it, even if it was exaggerated.'”

Representatives for Gates did not immediately respond to Business a request for comment from Business Insider.