We are moving from auto-pilot era to co-pilot era of AI: Satya Nadella

We are moving from auto-pilot era to co-pilot era of AI: Satya Nadella on speaking about future of AI

Humans are in the loop with AI, and it is here to help humans make their job easy, said Satya Nadella, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Microsoft, in an exclusive conversation with CNBC-TV18 while talking about the impact of AI on jobs education, its threat, the future, and more.

At Microsoft, "We are moving from the auto-pilot era to the co-pilot era of AI," said Nadella.

"This co-pilot pattern has made me a better editor, right we sort of put a lot of emphasis on creating, not as much on fact-finding, and maybe that's at a premium," he added.

Although Nadella acknowledged the need for ethical and safety considerations, he dismissed the notion that AI poses an imminent threat to humanity. He highlighted the potential of AI but maintained that its development would be "fast, but fine." In contrast to Musk's cautious approach, Nadella seems more optimistic about AI's future.

"I mean, there can be a billion developers. In fact, the world needs a billion developers," he said. "So the idea that this is actually a democratizing tool to make access to new technology and access to new knowledge easier so that the ramp-up on the learning curve is easier."

Nadella also challenged the idea that Big Tech companies would control AI technology completely. As a result of AI advancements, smaller businesses will significantly benefit, according to him. It is his belief that the democratization of AI will allow more businesses to take advantage of its potential and foster innovation. According to Nadella, AI can be harnessed by companies of all sizes to grow and develop.

"We need to ensure tech disruption offers opportunities for competition and is not washed out by incumbents — It depends on what product fit small players find," the Mircosoft CEO added.

As a growing debate surrounds the future of artificial intelligence and its implications, the Microsoft CEO's remarks are timely. Experts, including Elon Musk, have expressed concerns about the potential risks associated with unchecked AI development, but Nadella's comments offer a more optimistic outlook.

"Steve Jobs had this beautiful, beautiful line, right, which is 'computers are like the bicycles for the mind,'" Nadella said. "We now have an upgrade, we have a steam engine for the mind."