Microsoft’s Mustafa Suleyman says he loves Sam Altman and believes he’s sincere about AI safety.
In a candid interview at the Aspen Ideas Festival, Mustafa Suleyman, CEO of Microsoft AI, expressed his admiration for Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI. Suleyman voiced his belief in Altman’s commitment to AI safety. When asked about the partnership between Microsoft and OpenAI, Suleyman dismissed the idea that the AI industry is a “ferocious race” with a finite finish line.
He stressed the importance of cooperation and downplayed competitive tensions. “They [OpenAI] are an independent company. We don’t own or control them.
We don’t even have any board members. But we have a deep partnership. I’m very good friends with Sam, have huge respect and trust in what they’ve done,” Suleyman stated.
Microsoft has a significant stake in OpenAI’s for-profit business. Agreements allow Microsoft to embed OpenAI’s AI models into its products and offer them to cloud customers. This close relationship is crucial for Microsoft’s investors and enterprise clients but has invited regulatory scrutiny.
Suleyman praises Altman on AI safety
Suleyman’s career has been marked by his founding of AI pioneer DeepMind and its acquisition by Google. He has also been interested in AI safety.
He authored “The Coming Wave: Technology, Power and the 21st Century’s Greatest Dilemma,” which explores the potential dangers of AI and strategies to mitigate them. Recently, a group of former OpenAI employees raised concerns about the company’s commitment to AI safety. Responding to these concerns, Suleyman reiterated his faith in Altman’s sincerity on the subject.
He called for a more regulated and slower-paced approach to AI development. “Friction is going to be our friend here. These technologies are becoming so powerful, they will be so intimate, they’ll be so ever-present, that this is a moment where it’s fine to take stock,” he remarked.
Suleyman also commented on the geopolitical dimensions of AI development, particularly regarding China. He advocated for a cooperative approach, cautioning against framing the AI race as a new Cold War. Similarly, on the topic of AI in education, he likened the introduction of AI tools in classrooms to the adoption of calculators.
He urged a balanced perspective. Overall, Suleyman’s remarks at the festival illuminate the complex interplay between competition, collaboration, and regulation in the rapidly evolving field of AI.
