Microsoft’s next big AI bet: building a ‘humanist superintelligence’

Microsoft is forming a new group to analysis superintelligence and different superior types of synthetic intelligence.

Mustafa Suleyman, who leads Microsoft’s AI division overseeing Bing and Copilot, introduced the creation of the MAI Superintelligence Team in a blog post. He mentioned he’ll head the group and that Microsoft plans to place “a lot of cash” behind the hassle.

“We are doing this to resolve actual, concrete issues and do it in such a approach that it stays grounded and controllable,” Suleyman wrote. “We usually are not building an ill-defined and ethereal superintelligence; we’re building a sensible know-how explicitly designed solely to serve humanity.”

Building a ‘humanist’ strategy to superintelligence

The transfer comes as big tech corporations race to draw prime AI researchers. Meta, Facebook’s father or mother firm, not too long ago created its personal Meta Superintelligence Labs and spent billions recruiting specialists, even providing signing bonuses as excessive as $100 million. Suleyman didn’t touch upon whether or not Microsoft plans to match such gives however mentioned the brand new group will embody each inner expertise and new hires, with Karen Simonyan as chief scientist.

Before becoming a member of Microsoft, Suleyman co-founded DeepMind, which Google purchased in 2014. He later led the AI startup Inflection, which Microsoft acquired final yr together with a number of of its workers.

The hiring push displays a broader development. Since OpenAI launched ChatGPT in 2022, corporations have raced to carry generative AI into their merchandise. Microsoft makes use of OpenAI’s fashions in Bing and Copilot, whereas OpenAI depends on Microsoft’s Azure cloud to energy its instruments. Microsoft additionally holds a $135 billion stake in OpenAI after a latest restructuring.

Reducing reliance on OpenAI

Despite the partnership, Microsoft has been working to diversify its AI sources because it lays the groundwork for future superintelligence analysis. Following the Inflection acquisition, the corporate started experimenting with fashions from Google and Anthropic, one other AI startup based by former OpenAI executives.

The new Microsoft AI analysis group will intention to construct helpful AI companions that help folks in training and different areas. Suleyman mentioned the group additionally plans to give attention to initiatives in drugs and renewable vitality.

A special path from rivals

Unlike some friends, Suleyman mentioned Microsoft isn’t making an attempt to construct an “infinitely succesful generalist” AI. He doubts such techniques may very well be saved underneath management and as a substitute needs to develop what he calls “humanist superintelligence” – AI that serves human wants and delivers real-world advantages.

“Humanism requires us to all the time ask the query: does this know-how serve human pursuits?” he mentioned.

While the dangers of AI are extensively debated – from bias to existential threats – Suleyman mentioned his group’s aim is to create specialist techniques that obtain “superhuman efficiency” with out posing main dangers. He cited examples like AI that would enhance battery storage or design new molecules, just like DeepMind’s AlphaFold challenge that predicts protein constructions.

Medical superintelligence on the horizon

Suleyman mentioned Microsoft is very targeted on healthcare, predicting that AI able to expert-level prognosis may emerge within the next two or three years.

He described it as know-how that may purpose by advanced medical issues and detect preventable ailments a lot earlier. “We’ll have expert-level efficiency on the full vary of diagnostics, alongside extremely succesful planning and prediction in operational medical settings,” he wrote.

As traders query whether or not huge AI spending will translate into income, Suleyman emphasised that Microsoft is setting clear limits. “We usually are not building a superintelligence at any value, with no limits,” he mentioned.

(Photo by Praswin Prakashan)

See additionally: Microsoft gives free Copilot AI services to US government workers

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