Artificial Intelligence is the hotly debated topic of the hour. In just one year, the world witnessed some tumultuous changes owing to the creation of AI chatbots. While the merits of the technology were discussed across the spectrum, its potential and rapid proliferation fanned concerns.
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Microsoft, which has pumped billions of dollars into the creator of ChatGPT, OpenAI, has been the front runner in the AI arms race. CEO of the multinational tech giant, Satya Nadella, recently sat down with American journalist and anchor of NBC Nightly News, Lester Holt. The duo discussed AI technologies, threats and opportunities. In his conversation, Nadella touched upon various facets of AI, such as job loss, and regulation.
Discussing the recent hack on Microsoft systems, Nadella emphasised the need for global cooperation, suggesting that the US, Russia, and China come together to establish a Geneva Conventions for cybersecurity.
AI advancements: How far can you take it?
Holt began the interaction by acknowledging the fact that 2023 was the year when the world discovered the potentials of AI. He said that although we talk about all things exciting like detecting and treating cancer, conversations around deepfakes, fraud and disinformation too dominated the year. He asked Nadella what the potential was and how far one could take it.
The 56-year-old affirmed that he felt it was very healthy that the world was not only talking about all things AI could do but were also talking about the unintended consequences. He said that the tech industry has learned to simultaneously address both of these. “How do you really amplify the benefits and dampen the unintended consequences?” asked Nadella.
Nadella on AI and elections
Holt later told Nadella that they were heading towards the first AI election. The host asked the CEO how AI can help elections or maybe weaponise them. To this, Nadella responded by saying that it was not the first election where they dealt with disinformation, propaganda campaigns by adversaries and election interferences.
“I think what we have to go back to is, for example, we’re doing all the work around the tech industry about watermarking, detecting deepfakes and content IDs. There is going to be more technology to identify the issues around disinformation and misinformation. Then the question again comes back to how do we build consensus between parties, candidates, and the norms around what is acceptable, not acceptable,” Nadella told the host.
Does any of it make you put a stop sign?
Presuming that Nadella had the opportunity to see what was in the offing, Holt asked if any of it made him put up a stop sign. Nadella, in his characteristic way, emphasised the utility aspect of the technology.
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“With all of the technology, I am more in the camp of let us make sure that the technology ultimately is just a tool. This is not about replacing the human in the loop. In fact, it is about empowering the human. It’s an assistant,” Nadella said.
Nadella has been among the many tech leaders who have batted for regulation in AI development and deployment. He has often spoken about the need to have guardrails. When Holt asked him specifically what was that needed control, Nadella said that there were many areas that would need control. “One of the existential risks people talk about in AI is what if AI is so powerful that it’s not in human control. That obviously is an existential issue for us,” he said.
AI’s impact on jobs
When asked about AI’s impact on jobs, Nadella confidently said that there will be new job creation. However, he did not rule out the overall displacement in the labour market. “Well, I think there will be new job creation, new skills picked up, and yes, there will be overall displacement in the labour market, which I think will be much more dynamic than we give labour markets credit for,” said Nadella.
In January alone, close to 100 companies in the US laid off around 25,000 employees, and while companies attributed it to strategic shifts and restructuring, AI, too, has been a factor. The fear of AI taking jobs is real, and so are the concerns of it driving humanity to extinction.
In 2023, Microsoft laid off close to 12,000 employees and in January 2024 alone, the company announced that it was laying off 1,900 employees from Activision Blizzard and Xbox. While the reasons have been cited as response to macroeconomic conditions and changing customer priorities, AI, too, is a looming matter of concern.
Nadella on NYT copyright infringement, cybersecurity
In December last year, The New York Times sued OpenAI and Microsoft for copyright infringement. It was alleged that the two companies built their AI models by copying and using millions of the publications’ articles.
When Holt asked Nadella about the lawsuit and who ultimately benefits, he responded by saying that going forward, copyright protection and fair use will be critical in a world where there is a transformative new technology. “That’s really where the copyright laws have to essentially now be interpreted for what is a new transformation technology. We have done this in the past. I am sure we will come out with the right set of guidelines on what is used for training.”
Need for Geneva Conventions
On 12 January, Microsoft detected an attack on its corporate systems by the prominent Russia-affiliated threat actor Midnight Blizzard. Discussing the recent hack on Microsoft, both Holt and Nadella acknowledged the challenges posed by nation-state adversaries.
The CEO said that when the adversary is someone who is a nation-state or a country that has institutional strength, organisations that are both well-resourced and are relentless in attacking, he is glad that Microsoft is capable of detecting such instances. He even called for the superpowers to settle on a Geneva Convention for cybersecurity.
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“I really hope, whether it’s the US, Russia or China in particular, these are the three powers who need to come together and really settle on some Geneva Conventions. Because, if this is about two nations attacking each other, especially civilian targets, then we are in a new world, it’s a breakdown of world order which I think we have never seen,” said Nadella.
