Microsoft is investing billions in OpenAI, maker of ChatGPT
On Monday, Microsoft announced it is investing billions in OpenAI to advance AI research and democratize it as a technology platform. This deeper collaboration between Microsoft and OpenAI has the potential to provide a huge boost to projects like the viral AI chatbot ChatGPT, which has drawn the attention — and in some cases, concern — from academics, business leaders, and tech enthusiasts.
The investment comes days after Microsoft is cutting 10,000 jobs. However, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said his company would continue to invest in strategic areas for their future, including advances in artificial intelligence (AI).
Here’s more of this Microsoft’s blog post about the collaboration:
“We have formed our partnership with OpenAI around a shared ambition to responsibly advance groundbreaking AI research and democratize AI as a new technology platform,” said Satya Nadella, Microsoft chairman and CEO. “In this next phase of our collaboration, developers and organizations across industries will have access to the best AI infrastructure, models, and toolchain with Azure to build and run their applications.”
“The past three years of our collaboration have been amazing,” said Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI. “Microsoft shares our values and we are excited to continue our independent research and work to create cutting-edge AI that benefits everyone .”
Microsoft plans to include ChatGPT in products like Word and Outlook, while businesses can use this tool directly in Azure apps and services. Since OpenAI made ChatGPT widely available, the AI program has been used for writing everything from articles to lyrics to screenplays. However, it has raised concerns about perpetuating prejudice and spreading misinformation, in addition to concerns in academia that students could easily use ChatGTP to cheat on assignments.
The partnership between Microsoft and OpenAI is an important step toward advancing AI research and making it more accessible to businesses and individuals. The potential of ChatGPT and other AI tools to improve efficiency and productivity is undeniable, as is the potential for abuse.