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Windows Central
Windows Central
Technology
Kevin Okemwa

Microsoft AI CEO says the AI revolution will "deliver the greatest boost to productivity in the history of our species" — but also raise fundamental questions about what it means to be human

Mustafa Suleyman, Microsoft AI CEO talks on Day 1 of the AI Safety Summit at Bletchley Park at Bletchley Park on November 1, 2023 in Bletchley, England. .

What you need to know

  • Microsoft's AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman recently indicated AI progression could lead to the greatest boost to productivity in history within the next couple of decades.
  • However, he warns the progression could destabilize how we understand the world, including raising fundamental questions about what it means to be human.
  • OpenAI CEO Sam Altman recently indicated AGI will "whoosh by" within the next 5 years, dwindling its societal impact to "significantly little" than expected.

As generative AI advances and scales greater heights, it's becoming more difficult to determine its impact on the future and society. It has heavily influenced sectors, including medicine, computing, education, and entertainment.

However, there are critical concerns about AI's rapid progression, especially with the lack of elaborate measures and regulations to help mitigate issues abound if/when it veers off the rails. Perhaps more concerning, AI researchers and experts claim AI will eventually spell inevitable doom on humanity with a 99.9% probability.

Interestingly, Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman shares the same sentiments about the progression of generative AI (via @tsarnick on X). In a recent interview on the Young and Profiting YouTube Channel, the executive shared some interesting insights on the trajectory of AI and its possible implications for humanity.

"It is true that this AI moment is going to deliver the greatest boost to productivity in the history of our species, in the next couple of decades. That, to me, is unquestionable. I don't think that makes me an optimist, I think that makes me a good predictor of the underlying trends."

While the anticipated boost in productivity could change how people view work and enhance efficiency and effectiveness, it could also feature major drawbacks. Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman says it could create the most change in a disruptive way we've ever seen:

"It's going to be destabilizing to the way that we currently understand the world to be, the way that we work, and the way our politics operates. Fundamentally, even what it means to be human."

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman indicated that the company might hit the AGI within the next 5 years with the current hardware. Interestingly, the executive claimed the benchmark would "whoosh by" with "surprisingly little" societal change.

Everyone has a different AI story

Interestingly, the executive also predicts AI gaining recursive self-improving capabilities, including editing its code to get better and self-improve. Suleyman also predicts AI will become autonomous, working independently of the user's direct command within the next 3-5 years, but before 2030.

This news comes after rumors indicated that Copilot might undergo significant changes in the foreseeable future, turning it into more than just a tool. Microsoft might evolve Copilot into an AI companion that can become a friend and foster meaningful and lasting relationships with users.

However, if Copilot's latest warm and intuitive update is anything to go by, users want a simple AI-powered tool to boost their productivity. Microsoft shipped a massive update to its AI tool, overhauling its user experience with new features, including Copilot Vision. Users have expressed frustrations with Copilot's recent update, citing a degraded user experience and low-quality responses. Microsoft staffers highlighted disappointment with the recent update, branding it as "a step backward" that has "absolutely ruined" Copilot.

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