Microsoft CEO defends OpenAI partnership after EU, UK launch probes
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Microsoft chief executive Satya Nadella insisted AI’s recent rapid developments come after Microsoft’s risk-taking.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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DAVOS – Microsoft chief executive Satya Nadella on Jan 16 defended his company’s multibillion-dollar investment in ChatGPT developer OpenAI after the European Union (EU) and Britain launched probes into whether it resembles a merger.
Mr Nadella was speaking on the sidelines during an event organised by Bloomberg at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in the Swiss Alpine resort of Davos.
“If we want competition in AI against some of the players who are completely already integrated, I think partnerships is one avenue of, in fact, having competition,” Mr Nadella said.
“I’m sure the regulators will look at it and say, ‘Is this a pro-competition partnership or not?‘ And to me, I think it’s a no-brainer.”
Microsoft has poured billions of dollars since 2019 into OpenAI, which thrust artificial intelligence (AI) into the spotlight with its chatbot, ChatGPT, in late 2022.
ChatGPT demonstrates AI’s dizzying advances as it can produce eloquent poetry and concise essays within seconds as well as pass medical and legal exams.
But with popularity comes greater scrutiny and now anti-trust regulators in the EU and Britain are examining the Microsoft-OpenAI partnership.
Mr Nadella insisted that AI’s recent rapid developments come after Microsoft’s risk-taking.
“If Microsoft had not taken the highly risky (decision) – and this is now all conventional wisdom – but when we made those investments, when we backed OpenAI, went all in on a particular form of computing that led to all of these breakthroughs, it would have not been what we had.
“And more importantly, the incumbents would have been the winners,” he said.
OpenAI faced a tumultuous period late last year when its chief executive, Mr Sam Altman, was ousted and then made a shock return,
Mr Nadella said Microsoft now just wants “stability in the partnership”.
He also seemed confident about limiting the risks of AI on elections as billions prepare to head to the polls this year, including in the United States, where Microsoft is based.
“It’s not like this is the first election where disinformation or misinformation, and election interference is going to be a real challenge that we all have to tackle,” he said. “We as a company have to do our best work.”
Mr Nadella was set to speak later on Jan 16 during an official WEF event. AFP
