Mircosoft CEO Satya Nadella Drops his Thoughts on AI

Satya Nadella, chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of Microsoft that has toppled Apple as the most valuable company, believes that India with its robust developer community will be able to compete with any developed country in the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and generative AI (GenAI) in enterprises. In an interview during his visit to India last week, Nadella, who has completed 10 years as the company’s CEO, underscored the importance of keeping “humans in the loop” in AI-enabled projects, the value of India-specific large language models (LLMs), the need to regulate AI, and the need to create new value from technology to stay ahead. Edited excerpts:

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella was on a three-day visit to India recently.

Nadella completed 10 years as Microsoft CEO earlier this month. When asked about analysts calling him the most impactful tech executive since Steve Jobs, Nadella said that every 10 years, something very big happens in our industry and that he had the privilege to be part of four of these technological waves: PC client-server, web/internet, mobile cloud, and now AI. He added that what will really matter is our ability, long before it’s conventional wisdom, to have a real point of view on what the arc of technology is. And then to go all in and build something of value. Even as we are doing this, it’s also important to be grounded. After all, we are Microsoft.

This is the quickest thing that has ever spread like this,” Nadella said of the integration of AI across many industries. And beyond that, he says it has changed me.” Why is this excitement? I am of the opinion that it is tangibly altering economic productivity.

Nadella foresees a time when AI could function as a personal tutor for children, dispelling intricate concepts and reducing anxiety associated with learning. AI, he believes, will enhance our cognitive capabilities and may be likened to an enhanced “steam engine for the mind,” but critical thinking will still require human effort.

This next piece of code is about the Copilot stack. The potential is immense, but the obstacles are significant.

“The next 25 years of chemistry must be compressed,” Nadella suggested. That’s where the importance of AI can be found. Referring to a conversation with his peers last week, he selected an instance where it was possible to reduce the lithium content in a battery by 70%. It means that “the fundamental frontiers of science are changing.”

What matters most in the realm of AI is trust, and how it needs to be addressed for security. Everywhere we look, many models will be made and each country must decide.

A Week before Microsoft’s announcement of training millions of people in India with artificial intelligence skills, the move comes amid increasing investment by countries and companies to invest in future-proofing workers and capitalise on opportunities spurred by technology that will kill off jobs and deepen inequality.

The training, which will be delivered in partnership with governments, nonprofit and corporate organizations, as well as communities, will help the future workforce tap into AI’s potential, according to the company.

The initiative will concentrate on training individuals in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, which are urban areas with smaller populations than major settlements like Delhi, Mumbai, and Hyderabad. Additionally, it will focus on teaching in rural areas.