Microsoft is forming a brand new crew 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 Group in a blog post. He mentioned he’ll head the group and that Microsoft plans to place “some huge cash” behind the hassle.
“We’re doing this to resolve actual, concrete issues and do it in such a method that it stays grounded and controllable,” Suleyman wrote. “We’re not constructing an ill-defined and ethereal superintelligence; we’re constructing a sensible expertise explicitly designed solely to serve humanity.”
Constructing a ‘humanist’ strategy to superintelligence
The transfer comes as massive tech corporations race to draw prime AI researchers. Meta, Fb’s mother or father firm, lately created its personal Meta Superintelligence Labs and spent billions recruiting consultants, even providing signing bonuses as excessive as $100 million. Suleyman didn’t touch upon whether or not Microsoft plans to match such affords however mentioned the brand new crew will embody each inside expertise and new hires, with Karen Simonyan as chief scientist.
Earlier than 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 staff.
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.
Lowering reliance on OpenAI
Regardless of 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 brand new Microsoft AI analysis group will goal to construct helpful AI companions that help individuals in schooling and different areas. Suleyman mentioned the crew additionally plans to give attention to tasks in medication and renewable power.
A special path from rivals
Not like some friends, Suleyman mentioned Microsoft isn’t making an attempt to construct an “infinitely succesful generalist” AI. He doubts such methods might be stored below management and as a substitute desires to develop what he calls “humanist superintelligence” – AI that serves human wants and delivers real-world advantages.
“Humanism requires us to at all times ask the query: does this expertise serve human pursuits?” he mentioned.
Whereas the dangers of AI are extensively debated – from bias to existential threats – Suleyman mentioned his crew’s purpose is to create specialist methods that obtain “superhuman efficiency” with out posing main dangers. He cited examples like AI that might enhance battery storage or design new molecules, much like DeepMind’s AlphaFold mission that predicts protein constructions.
Medical superintelligence on the horizon
Suleyman mentioned Microsoft is particularly centered on healthcare, predicting that AI able to expert-level analysis may emerge within the subsequent two or three years.
He described it as expertise that may motive by way of complicated 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 buyers query whether or not large AI spending will translate into income, Suleyman emphasised that Microsoft is setting clear limits. “We’re not constructing a superintelligence at any value, with no limits,” he mentioned.
(Photograph by Praswin Prakashan)
See additionally: Microsoft provides free Copilot AI providers to US authorities staff
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