How Id start Microsoft again from scratch today [Video]

If Bill Gates had to start all over again, he’d join the artificial intelligence arms race with an “AI-centric” startup, he says.

“Today, somebody could raise billions of dollars for a new AI company [that’s just] a few sketch ideas,” the billionaire Microsoft co-founder tells CNBC Make It.

If he could gain enough capital, he’d consider attempting to build a rival to the AI efforts of big companies like Google, Nvidia or Microsoft-backed OpenAI, he says. Otherwise, he’d try to find a specific niche industry where AI could be useful, and grow in a focused way with minimal competition, he adds.

Gates researched the AI industry for his upcoming Netflix docuseries “What’s Next? The Future With Bill Gates,” set to premiere on September 18. His top entrepreneurial takeaway, he says: To really stand out “as a small company, you have to pick something you’re going to do uniquely.”

Since the AI industry is …