The main issue that Bill Gates identifies as being unsolvable for today's youth is the irreversible damage that has already been caused.

Bill Gates dedicates a considerable amount of his resources and effort towards addressing some of the world's most pressing issues, including climate change and poverty. Despite his immense intellect, one challenge remains elusive to him.

Gates admitted to CNBC Make It that he had to punt on the issue of misinformation and leave it to the younger generation to handle.

The spread of falsehoods is increasing due to technological advancements, such as AI chatbots, which make it easier to generate and disseminate misinformation rapidly. In a survey conducted by the World Economic Forum in January, AI-generated misinformation was identified as the top global risk for the next two years. Additionally, a 2023 survey by the Pew Research Center found that 55% of Americans believe the U.S. government and tech companies should take action to limit false information online.

Bill Gates, who is often the subject of conspiracy theories, is more acquainted with misinformation than he would like. However, a discussion with his daughter Phoebe made him realize the gravity of the issue.

Gates says that hearing his daughter discuss her online harassment and how her friends also experienced it, made him realize the severity of the issue in a new way.

In an interview with The Information, Phoebe Gates addressed the "misconceptions and conspiracy theories" surrounding her family and her own relationships, including racist online comments about one of her ex-boyfriends, who is Black.

Bill Gates, the billionaire Microsoft co-founder, is set to address the issue of misinformation in a five-part Netflix docuseries titled "What's Next? The Future With Bill Gates," which will be released on September 18. During a preview screening of the series, Gates confides to his daughter that he regrets not having a solution to curb the spread of false information.

He tells Make It that while eradicating diseases and promoting cleaner energy are still challenging, they have more straightforward paths to solutions.

Gates is still overcoming his 'naivete'

Gates initially believed that people would primarily use home computers and the internet for productive and responsible purposes when he founded Microsoft. However, he later realized that some of his naivety remained, as he still believed that when information was made available, people would want accurate information when working on the docuseries.

Filming with misinformation experts helped Gates realize that he too has the human tendency to seek out information that confirms his pre-existing beliefs.

"Even if I don't like a politician, I can still appreciate a critical article about them, even if it's a bit exaggerated."

Gates acknowledges the challenge of stopping the spread of misinformation online, as he is aware of the counter-argument that limiting any type of information could infringe on the right to free speech. However, he believes that some rules need to be established, although he is unsure by whom these rules should be enforced.

Researchers argue that while internet literacy programs and social media content moderation can help combat misinformation, some tech companies have reduced their efforts, which only partially addresses the issue.

Last year, Google executive Beth Goldberg stated that technology could aid in combating misinformation and toxic speech online through the development of AI tools. However, the competitive nature of technology advancements means that it may not be a complete solution, as someone will always find a way to circumvent it, according to Bill Gates' blog post from last year.

Gates states that the issue of false information spreading to the billions of internet users is already too prevalent.

If you catch it a day later, the harm is already done, he says.

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