As it continues its relationship with OpenAI, Microsoft has announced a multi-year, multi-billion dollar investment in artificial intelligence (AI).
Popular image-creation software Dall-E and the chatbot ChatGPT were both developed by OpenAI.
Microsoft made a $808 million ($1 billion) investment in the Elon Musk and Sam Altman-founded business in 2019.
The manufacturer of Windows and Xbox said it would still hire in certain strategic areas despite planning up to 10,000 layoffs.
CEO Satya Nadella broke the news last week in an email to the workers, writing: “The next significant wave of computing is being born, with developments in AI.”
The company stated that it anticipated AI to have a “effect at the magnitude of the personal computer, the internet, mobile devices, and the cloud” when announcing the expanded relationship.
Red alert
ChatGPT from OpenAI can answer inquiries with genuinely human-like responses.
There has been speculation about how the technology may be abused, from developing malware to helping kids cheat on tests, along with claims that it has the ability to completely transform numerous industries, including search.
Although Google is the market leader, Microsoft owns the Bing search engine, which some claim might be a threat to it because of ChatGPT.
According to the New York Times, this has prompted Google to issue a “code red” due to concerns that it could allow rivals to cut into the company’s $149 billion search business.
Google has historically refrained from making some AI systems available to the general public.
The company has stated that not disclosing their picture creation technology Imagen is due to “ethical issues.”
The system, which is taught using data gathered from the internet, run the risk of picking up “harmful prejudices and representations,” according to researchers.
clear skies
Microsoft stated that it was dedicated to “creating trustworthy and secure AI systems and solutions.”
It stated that “across our consumer and enterprise offerings” it would use OpenAI’s technology.
In addition to ChatGPT, the company also creates Dall-E, which creates images in response to basic text commands, and GitHub Copilot, a tool that employs AI to assist with coding.
Microsoft declared that OpenAI would continue to be powered by its Azure cloud computing platform.
Microsoft did not specify the size of its investment in OpenAI in its announcement, despite earlier reports that the company was mulling a $10 billion investment.
