In an interview, Nadella said AI is “scary” but “moving fast in the right direction”. He maintains all parties must unite to make it work.
Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) chief executive officer Satya Nadella recently discussed AI and its impact on jobs and education. In a media session aired Tuesday, the Microsoft CEO revealed his primary concern around the technology. Nadella said AI is so scary that maximizing its inherent opportunities while mitigating potential danger will directly require effort from “the entire society”. He also added that despite the technology’s rapid development, people remain integral to its processes.
In the wide-ranging CNBC interview, Nadella explained:
“We definitely want the benefits of this technology, and we want to mitigate the unintended consequences. The leadership that’s required and the coming together of all the parties that is required is challenging, but it has to be done.”
On AI’s rapid development and how people continuously play an essential role in shaping the technology’s emergence, the CEO said:
“If anything, I feel, yes, it’s moving fast, but moving fast in the right direction. Humans are in the loop versus being out of the loop. It’s a design choice, which, at least, we have made.”
Nadella’s AI Views Come Amid Polarizing Popularity
AI’s emergence has sparked an intense competition among tech players looking to dominate the market, which could prove highly lucrative. Several companies across the globe are in various stages of developing AI offerings that cover numerous disciplines and works of life. These companies include Microsoft, Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL), and Google (NASDAQ: GOOGL) in the US; and Baidu and Tencent in China.
However, lawmakers and tech leaders like Tesla boss Elon Musk have also expressed concern about the side effects of the revolutionary technology. In March, Musk was one of over 27,000 people to sign a petition calling AI labs to suspend development. The open letter underpins Nadella’s recent assertion that people remain integral to AI’s development and subsequent adaptation.
Since AI technology exploded onto the scene triggered by ChatGPT’s release last November, lawmakers and developers have debated on regulations. A prime case of this development is the recent congressional hearing featuring Sam Altman, ChatGPT creator OpenAI’s CEO. Altman testified before the Senate Judiciary Privacy, Technology, & the Law Subcommittee, alongside IBM chief trust officer Christina Montgomery and NYU professor Gary Marcus. At the hearing, the trio fielded questions regarding AI’s potential harm and regulatory practices.
Altman admitted that AI has destructive potential if not properly harnessed. Furthermore, the OpenAI chief executive expressed a willingness to work with Congress on instituting effective oversight.
Some believe AI’s Disruptive Force Could Be a Good Thing
Notwithstanding, other tech leaders and ambitious venture capitalists see AI as a disruptive and revolutionary force. This group likens the technology’s emergence (ChatGPT) to the game-changing release of the first iPhone in June 2007. Meanwhile, in a February interview, Microsoft co-founder and billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates described AI as the “most important innovation” right now. He further opined that the technology would change “our world”.
Tolu is a cryptocurrency and blockchain enthusiast based in Lagos. He likes to demystify crypto stories to the bare basics so that anyone anywhere can understand without too much background knowledge.
When he’s not neck-deep in crypto stories, Tolu enjoys music, loves to sing and is an avid movie lover.
