Microsoft Vice Chairman and President discusses generative AI with Rahul Kanwal

Brad Smith, Vice Chairman and President of Microsoft, discussed the potential and pitfalls of generative AI with Rahul Kanwal, Executive Director of India Today Group, at the India Today Conclave 2023. Smith highlighted three key developments that we can expect to see in the future of generative AI.

Smith predicted that generative AI models will get better and more powerful in their ability to reason. These models will progress from large language models to multimodal models, meaning they will be able to understand not just words, but also images, sound and video, and reason them to produce content in a variety of forms.

We're going to see these models get better, and we're going to see them get better. Smith said that being more powerful means that they're going to be more powerful in terms of their ability to reason.

Smith noted that companies like Microsoft are already seeing generative AI integrated into their products, with announcements being made almost every week about new applications. Microsoft has unveiled features that allow users to convert Word documents into PowerPoint presentations, generate meeting notes, and summarize long email chains. These applications have the potential to improve communication, collaboration, and productivity in the workplace.

Smith emphasized that these models are not limited to use in first-party applications, but can be accessed through Microsoft Azure.

Since the start of the epidemic, India is a particularly exciting market for the development of generative AI, with rapid progress being made in digital innovation.

Smith predicted that generative AI will be used in government services and enterprises in India, leading to entirely new ways for citizens to access information and apply for services, as well as improvements in the way businesses work.

One of the countries where innovation is the fastest in India is where we are seeing this kind of innovation move the fastest. I think it's worth it to put all of this back in the context of the world, the country that has moved the fastest since the start of the epidemic, to really ride the wave and opportunity of digital innovation in India, Smith said.

Also read the India Today Conclave 2023: Microsoft President Brad Smith says AI could be as big as Internet.