Microsoft President Brad Smith recently issued a stern warning that Chinese organisations and companies are set to become major rivals of ChatGPT, the cutting-edge AI-powered chatbot developed by OpenAI, a major tech-investor of which Microsoft is the leading one. Smith pointed out in an interview with Nikkei Asia that China will not lag far behind the other US technology giants such as Amazon and Google in the competitive development of generative AI.
The burgeoning technology of Generative AI, which is the backbone of ChatGPT, has left the world in awe due to its capability to create text and images information which are almost indistinguishable from human-created products. With such concepts come certain risks that may arise, such as job displacement, misinforming content, copyright infringement, compromised privacy as well as vicious dissemination of sensitive information.
To fight these risks, Smith suggests that the only good solution is to take advantage of existing products and develop upon them. In terms of AI, Smith assumes that it can potentially be used as an offensive weapon from attacks from certain nation states. Therefore, to better protect, it is necessary to fuse together the minds of people and the promising potential of technology, which will then outmaneuver the adversaries of democracies.
The Prime Minister of Japan, Fumio Kishida, welcomes the discussion about the regulations on the utilization of AI. In the venture of cooperation between Japan and OpenAI, the CEO Sam Altman was invited to discuss with Kishida on ways to protect user privacy and safety.
Speaking of business-wise, giants in Japan such as the biggest three banks, have already incorporated the use of ChatGPT to lighten workloads and reduce paperwork. Insurers like Tokio Marine are currently developing an AI system based on the ChatGPT platform in order to generate draft answers to queries from both policyholders and insurance agents alike.
Smith asserts that a unique benefit of using AI is to alleviate the labour shortage in Asia, where the working-age population has to sustain more elderly people. In the long run, achieving further productivity growth is the only way to elevate the GDP.
Microsoft is an American multinational technology company with headquarters in Redmond, Washington. Founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen in 1975, Microsoft is renowned for its expertise and products it offers, ranging from Windows operating systems, Office productivity suites and Edge Web browsers, to Xbox video game consoles, and more. Microsoft is also a leader in artificial intelligence, cloud computing and research technology. It has also been a major player in the industry when it comes to technology developments, such as the release of its own AI-powered cloud-computing platform, Azure.
Brad Smith is an American attorney who currently serves as the President of Microsoft. He has responsibilities that range from leading the company’s corporate, legal, and external affairs to overseeing health, safety, security, and privacy. Smith has been involved in the work of setting global standards for the ethical use of technology and increasing the accessibility of digital skills. In addition, Smith has also been a vocal advocate for exploring the potential for using AI for humanitarian purposes.
