ClaimsBill Gates

“You can use Microsoft Word and Google Docs to draft a business proposal”

Bill Gates, writing on his GatesNotes blog 9 November 2023 Bill Gates: AI agents could change how we live our lives (CNBC) archived copy

Factual Technology

Microsoft Word and Google Docs can be used to draft a business proposal.

Resolved true The record shows it happened or was so.

Factual: Statements about the present or the past, checked against the record: did they hold up?

The second judge would not resolve this claim; the verdict shown is the first judge's.

What would count as true or false

True if, as of 2023-11-09, both Microsoft Word and Google Docs are general word-processing applications that let a user write and edit a document such as a business proposal. Templates, AI features or any particular quality of output are not required. Mostly true if both can be used but one needs a minor workaround or a different product tier. Mixed if only one of the two can be used for this. Mostly false if neither can practically be used and the claim rests only on a loosely related ability. False if evidence shows that neither product can be used to create or edit text documents.

Set before the research began.

Evidence (3)

  1. E1 Google Docs: Online Word Processing for Business | Google Workspace Google Workspace · 30 October 2026

    “Create and edit text documents right in your browser—no dedicated software required.”
  2. E2 Free online document editor | Microsoft Word Microsoft · 13 May 2026

    “Create and edit documents on the web in Microsoft Word and store them online to access anywhere.”
  3. E3 Free online document editor | Microsoft Word Microsoft · 13 May 2026

    “Create versatile documents from cover letters and resumes to business letters and reports with Word.”

Reasoning

Google's product page describes Google Docs as letting users create and edit text documents in the browser (E1). Microsoft's page describes Word as a tool to create and edit documents, including business letters and reports (E2, E3). The pages are dated after the judge date, but they describe the basic function of both products as word processors. That meets the criteria's requirement that both let a user write and edit a document such as a business proposal.

Cite this claim

Bill Gates, “Microsoft Word and Google Docs can be used to draft a business proposal.” (said 9 November 2023). Verdict: resolved true. Reliability API, claim c_ef3f8217999c, method 0.1.0+c876030c, dataset release v1.1.2. https://epistacklabs.com/claims/c_ef3f8217999c

This claim is in dataset release v1.1.2, with the same verdict.

Reply to this claim

For Bill Gates, or someone speaking for them: a correction or counter-evidence. Replies are read before anything is shown; an approved reply shows your name, role, date, statement and link. Your email address is never shown and is deleted 30 days after the decision (privacy).

More factual claims by Bill Gates

  1. Mostly true Factual 9 November 2023
    “but they can't help you send an email, share a selfie, analyze data, schedule a party, or buy movie tickets”

    Microsoft Word and Google Docs cannot help you send an email, share a selfie, analyze data, schedule a party, or buy movie tickets.

  2. Mostly true Factual 20 May 2019
    “This is great news: wind and solar power generation is expanding at record rates, allowing more people to get their electricity from renewable sources than ever before.”

    Wind and solar power generation is expanding at record rates, so more people than ever get their electricity from renewable sources.

  3. Mostly false Factual 2015
    “It amounted to little more than pointing a camera at a university lecturer and hitting the “record” button.”

    About 15 years before 2015, online education amounted to little more than filming a university lecturer and recording.

  4. Resolved true Factual 2015
    “One interesting feature of digital financial innovation is that some of it is happening in poor countries first.”

    Some digital financial innovation is happening first in poor countries.

  5. Mostly true Factual 2010
    “except for the emerging renewables and nuclear, puts out CO2.”

    Almost every way of making electricity today, except the emerging renewables and nuclear, emits CO2.

All of them

Verdicts are made automatically; how verdicts are made.