Microsoft CEO Keeps A Close Tab On AI Progress Through Weekly Meetings

Artificial intelligence is one of the hot topics of recent times with giant companies like Amazon, Microsoft, Facebook getting involved in developing technology in order to reduce manpower on repetitive and redundant work. Microsoft CEO, Satya Nadella, along with other top executives, hold a meeting once a week, mostly on Thursday, to discuss the various artificial intelligence project that the company is working on.

The meetings, popularly known as the AI 365, are a testimony on the emphasis that Microsoft is putting in introducing artificial intelligence in its products. People of the senior leadership are already known to have a gathering on Friday and this meeting is an additional one. According to Kevin Scott, the Chief Technology Officer of Microsoft said that the intention was to review the work being done and address impending issues immediately, which would otherwise cause complications.

AI has found the preference for a number of huge companies along with Microsoft as they all believe that the implementation of it is massive and can help make cumbersome tasks easier. Thus, there are a number of products that are already being run by Microsoft, which runs on this technology. For example, the use of voice assistant Cortana and also for figuring out which systems should get a Windows update, segregation of data into an excel sheet based on photographs taken, the working of the Bing Search Engine etcetera.

Companies employing AI should be extra careful because if it falls into the wrong hands, it has the potential to wreak havoc as well. This risk prompts Microsoft to include a disclaimer to investors about the implications of AI in their annual report. This is primarily due to the fact that it allows machines to take independent decisions without any supervision by humans. Another problematic situation developed when the employees of Microsoft were asked to develop an AI-based technology for the Department of Defense.

They were apprehensive because they couldn’t be ascertained that the tech would not be used to kill people or engage in combat. Thus, this AI 365 meeting is actually a good step taken by Microsoft to ensure maximum transparency.