Bill Gates is no stranger to Reddit. The founder of Microsoft has done multiple "ask me anything" sessions in the past, but he still has plenty to talk about.
He stopped by Reddit for a third AMA today to answer questions from the Reddit community, and he provided some interesting views on the future, Microsoft's HoloLens and much more.
You can check out the AMA in its entirety here.
One of the top questions was a personal one, when one user asked if there was anything Gates ever regretted doing or not doing.
"I feel pretty stupid that I don't know any foreign languages," Gates responded. "I took Latin and Greek in High School and got A's and I guess it helps my vocabulary but I wish I knew French or Arabic or Chinese. I keep hoping to get time to study one of these - probably French because it is the easiest. I did Duolingo for awhile but didn't keep it up. Mark Zuckerberg amazingly learned Mandarin and did a Q&A with Chinese students - incredible."
Hi @reddit, I’m starting my #AMA now: https://t.co/S4fWlaBD6X. pic.twitter.com/Ni7lJR17K6
— Bill Gates (@BillGates) January 28, 2015
Another subject on Reddit's mind was Microsoft's recent reveal of its HoloLens augmented reality technology. What does Gates, who no longer has a direct role in the company he founded, think about the hologram tech?
"The Hololens is pretty amazing. Microsoft has put a lot into the chips and the software," Gates said. "It is the start of virtual reality. Making the device so you don't get dizzy or nauseous is really hard. The speed of the alignment has to be super fast. It will take a few years of software applications being built to realize the full promise of this."
Gates also shared information about a Microsoft project of his own -- a digital personal assistant.
"One project I am working on with Microsoft is the Personal Agent which will remember everything and help you go back and find things and help you pick what things to pay attention to," Gates said. "The idea that you have to find applications and pick them and they each are trying to tell you what is new is just not the efficient model. The agent will help solve this. It will work across all your devices."
Gates also shared his concern about the potential rise of artificial intelligence as a threat to mankind.
"I am in the camp that is concerned about super intelligence" Gates said. "First the machines will do a lot of jobs for us and not be super intelligent. That should be positive if we manage it well. A few decades after that though the intelligence is strong enough to be a concern. I agree with Elon Musk and some others on this and don't understand why some people are not concerned."
But perhaps the most important question was this: does billionaire Bill Gates purchase generic products over name brand?
"I am pretty basic when it comes to clothes and food," Gates replied. "My big splurge is having a plane to fly around in. I play tennis so I invest in shoes and racquets to help but they don't make a big difference."
Way to avoid the question, Bill.
