Satya Nadella’s call for AI that lifts all draws a rather 'unusual' response from Elon Musk

Elon Musk, Satya Nadella

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has shared one of his most detailed reflections yet on the AI platform shift and why the industry must resist falling into zero sum thinking. His argument is that AI will only reach its full potential when every company can build its own capabilities without accidentally handing all its value to a handful of tech giants. Elon Musk responded to the post with a hand on head emoji, a reaction that has already triggered plenty of speculation online.

Nadella referenced Bill Gates’ classic definition of a platform, where the economic value created by those who build on top of it surpasses the value of the company behind it. For Nadella, that principle is essential for AI to become a positive sum force. He highlighted Microsoft’s partnerships with OpenAI, Nvidia and AMD, describing them as examples of collaboration that accelerates innovation for everyone involved rather than benefiting just one party.

A major focus of his post was Microsoft’s newly announced AI superfactory, co designed with OpenAI and informed by three generations of supercomputers. Nadella framed it as infrastructure that will help startups and enterprises train and deploy their own models, not simply power Microsoft’s ambitions.

He also pointed to coding as a category transformed by AI. Tools like GitHub Copilot have expanded the market rather than cannibalising existing products. The bigger test, he noted, will be real world impact, such as faster drug discovery, optimised supply chains and personalised education.

Nadella ended by urging companies to build AI systems that protect their independence and long term value. The next wave, he argued, should lift entire sectors rather than hollow them out.