Satya Nadella talks AI, Cloud concerns

Exterminator

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Satya Nadella believes that companies, including Microsoft, must "eschew artificial intelligence systems that replace people instead of maximizing their time". The CEO of the Redmond giant thinks that companies must be wary of trying to replace employees with machines but, rather AI must enable them to be more productive.

"The fundamental need of every person is to be able to use their time more effectively, not to say, ‘let us replace you’ ... This year and the next will be the key to democratizing AI. The most exciting thing to me is not just our own promise of AI as exhibited by these products, but to take that capability and put it in the hands of every developer and every organization."

Microsoft has been on a hot streak lately, especially with AI. On a mission to 'democratize AI', the company formed an AI and Research group in the latter half of last year. More recently, it acquired Maluuba- a deep learning startup from Montreal.

But, Nadella isn't resting on his laurels. In his fourth year as the CEO of Microsoft, he has achieved a great deal but he maintains that its not about the success of a single product, but cultivating the internal culture. He explains:

"There’s a thin line between hubris and confidence. Always there is risk of hubris coming back, missing trends. The only long-term indicator of success is, ‘how good is your internal culture?’" ..."What I’ve learned if anything in three years as CEO is, it’s not about celebrating one product. That, to me, is the sign of a company that’s built to last. In tech it’s even more harsh."

He also urged that while competitors have been doing "great things", Microsoft is differentiating itself by allowing developers access to the same tools that they use to "create their own intelligence".

Of cloud concerns, he urged the incoming Trump administration, European Union and China to weigh issues including the balance between security and data privacy. He said:

"We have business in each one of these countries. These countries are going to have to work together and there are rightful concerns each one of these constituents has."

Nadella is one of the roughly 3000 businessmen, scholars, and politicians attending the World Economic Forum at Davos starting today.

Source: Bloomberg via MSPoweruser
 

Exterminator

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I agree that replacing employees with AI instead of AI helping employees is a bad and very dangerous road to embark upon.
Used as a productivity tool it is a game changer but used to replace employees it lends credance to those who warn that we are living in a mechanized world out of hand.
 

DJ Panda

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Should be an interesting future ahead of us. Read a situation where the government would have a basic living pay for people that lost their jobs with new technology such as this. Robots or AI probably won't replace every single job out there. Counselors would be a good example where they can show real emotion vs AI that doesn't really "feel" at all. :)
 
W

Wave

Should be an interesting future ahead of us. Read a situation where the government would have a basic living pay for people that lost their jobs with new technology such as this. Robots or AI probably won't replace every single job out there. Counselors would be a good example where they can show real emotion vs AI that doesn't really "feel" at all. :)
In Japan I believe they've already made robots which look so much like humans that you can't even tell them apart, with functions for walking around, moving their head, talking, etc. Not sure where I read it though, was awhile back.

People might actually be more comfortable talking to a robot version instead, since then they know that no matter what they say it can't be leaked by an individual, since a robot isn't just going to remember what was said and start exposing it to others (e.g. in the case of a rogue counselor) - unless the robot was manipulated of course.

Well, at least we will be needed to make new robots with upgraded features!
 

Paul123

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at least AI can replace software programmers. programming requires the only brain.
LOL. if its true AI, it can replace any intelligent human being.
If an AI replaced me it would probably blow up from the demands. Ive been asked to do some pretty impossible tasks in my work experience. The weirdest one was writing an interactive training course for a product that hadn't even got past the requirements stage, or the design stage either. Every day I would go to the office and be shouted at by the boss for not having made any progress, everyday I'd go to the person who was in charge of the system and ask if they'd completed the requirements yet (and design too would help) and be told 'Nope', after about a month of this I threw together an interactive mock-up in Photoshop of what I thought it was to do, gave that to them, left and my company presented them with the bill. I dont think the system was ever built.

Like to see an AI handle that!
 
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Paul123

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Rolo

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We can't make blanket statements.
Except that one. ;)

To say, "no. period." would mean that we have to bring back elevator operators and dismantle all robotic factories.

Replacing Microsoft's technical support with AI surely couldn't hurt.
Even if they replaced them with Eliza. ;)
 
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Paul123

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Replacing Microsoft's technical support with AI surely couldn't hurt.
Even if they replaced them with Eliza. ;)
I could replace Microsoft support with a very basic program:
1. You have a problem - reinstall windows
2. This didn't fix it? - your computer must be incompatible with Windows, we can't help. Goodbye

I miss the days when Microsoft (or anyone for that matter) had really good support teams (yes they really did once). About a year or so ago I screwed up my Apple account (entirely my fault) and got American support, they were helpful, friendly and went the extra mile even bending the rules a bit to get me sorted - it was so refreshing to get someone human, intelligent and actually caring. You can't replace that with an AI.

That said I feel sorry for the Microsoft support staff. its not their fault, its Microsoft's that they aren't adequately trained up. it must be a soul destroying job.
 
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Sana

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AI (brains) vs Robots (body). AI isn't there yet (or upto the very creative Matrix type level), but robots are ready to replace the manufacturing industry! Will they take those jobs ofcourse, but they cannot replace all jobs. Plus, they are a very good extension / replacement to do either very repetitive or microscopic type of jobs. Let's face it there's only so many impoverished or poor countries left on earth, China is already building a lot of factories in Africa now. And everyone knows that manufacturing jobs are at the bottom of the ladder.
smiling-curve-2.jpg

With respect to people having jobs, yes I feel their pain. And so do the rich people, you say how? Read on ;)

There will come a time, in the near future, that there will be a second Industrial Revolution that will further displace all of the Industrial Workers and the Clerical elite out of existence. As the early economist of Adam Smith and Karl Marx had pointed out that the value of all commodities are determined by the value of [human] labor. Capital is determined by the transformative character of human labor that imparts to all commodities a certain absolute value, and through the circulation of capital; turns into profit. A robot can work from sun to sun and will never contribute any value to capitalist society. A worker get a paycheck and circulates money through the economy which comes back to them in the form of profits. If there is no circulation of money; the capitalist economy would become extinct by its sheer lack of. Yes robots can create non stop, but with out the vast majority of humanity taken out of the economy money would be as useful as toilet paper; only good to wipe your backside. The captains of Industry should be careful what they wish for; for they might not like what they get.
 

souhrid

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If Satya Nadella want to replace employees with AI then we users can simply replace Microsoft products with other products who give more preference to humans. I don't think robots will ever pay Nadella for using Windows OS or any products, it has to be humans.;)
Robots assisting humans to improve overall efficiency without replacing them is a much better way.
 
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