$ cat ./records/bill-gates-issues-the-trustworthy-computing-security-memo-2002.txt
Bill Gates issues the 'Trustworthy Computing' security memo
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On January 15, 2002, amid a wave of damaging worms and security flaws, Bill Gates sent a company-wide email launching the 'Trustworthy Computing' initiative, declaring that security and privacy had to come before adding new features. Computing, he wrote, should become 'as available, reliable and secure as standard services such as electricity, water services, and telephony.' Microsoft halted Windows development for weeks to retrain engineers, and the memo gave rise to the Security Development Lifecycle, reshaping how the industry approached software security.
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Related Accomplishments
January 2026
Gates warns AI could be used to design a bioterrorism weapon
In his January 2026 'Year Ahead' annual letter and subsequent remarks, Bill Gates warned that an even greater risk than a natural pandemic is that 'a non-government group will use open source AI tools to design a bioterrorism weapon.' Gates identified two AI dangers he said society must manage — misuse by bad actors and disruption to jobs — and drew a comparison to COVID-19, invoking his 2015 TED talk about pandemic unpreparedness. He argued the technology must be deliberately developed, governed, and deployed, and urged governments to use 2026 to prepare before AI's risks become unmanageable.
2026
Gates backs a $1 million prize for AI-powered Alzheimer's research
Bill Gates joined other funders backing a competition to harness artificial intelligence for Alzheimer's research, with the Alzheimer's Disease Data Initiative offering a $1 million first prize for 'agentic AI' that can accelerate discovery. The effort reflects Gates's growing personal focus on the brain — shaped by his father's experience with Alzheimer's — and his belief that AI and big data can speed progress in a field long marked by setbacks. Application rounds ran from 2025 into 2026.
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