The conversation also included Sam Altman, who characterized the partnership between Microsoft and OpenAI as “excellent.”
Microsoft’s CEO, Satya Nadella, suggests that AI holds a significance akin to the internet’s impact in 1995, when Bill Gates, Microsoft’s co-founder, issued a memo urging employees to embrace the web.
In this week’s episode of The Circuit with Emily Chang, Nadella stated, “The Bill memo in 1995, it does feel like that to me. I think it’s as big.”
The memo, titled “The Internet Tidal Wave,” underscored the internet’s role in propelling Microsoft’s growth, predicting its transformative impact on daily interactions for individuals and businesses.
To actualize their vision of democratizing AI, Microsoft has formed a partnership with OpenAI. OpenAI’s technology powers Microsoft’s Bing chatbot and other AI offerings, while Microsoft provides its extensive data center infrastructure for OpenAI’s services.
Sam Altman, OpenAI’s CEO, noted the strength of the partnership, mentioning, “We have a great relationship… This is an example of it working really well. We’re super grateful for it.”
However, this collaboration has encountered challenges and controversies. Elon Musk, who co-founded OpenAI with Altman, departed due to disagreements over the organization’s direction and the establishment of a for-profit arm. Musk also claimed that Microsoft effectively controls OpenAI.
Altman refuted Musk’s assertions, asserting that OpenAI is not under Microsoft’s control and is not up for sale.
Nadella cautioned in the interview that the full impact of AI remains uncertain, emphasizing the tech industry’s tendency to overhype developments. He expressed his motivation to use AI to achieve its ultimate purpose: democratizing access to technology.
