Microsoft CEO: tech sector needs to prevent '1984' future
Microsoft CEO: tech sector needs to prevent '1984' future
By Glenn CHAPMAN May 10, 2017
Seattle (AFP) - Microsoft chief executive Satya Nadella
said Wednesday tech developers have a responsibility to prevent a dystopian
"1984" future as the US technology titan unveiled a fresh initiative
to bring artificial intelligence into the mainstream.
At the start of its annual Build Conference, Microsoft
sought to showcase applications with artificial intelligence that could tap
into services in the internet "cloud" and even take advantage of computing
power in nearby machines.
Nadella spent time on stage at the Seattle conference
stressing a need to build trust in technology, saying new applications must
avoid dystopian futures feared by some.
Nadella's presentation included images from George Orwell’s
"1984" and Aldous Huxley's "Brave New World" to underscore
the issue of responsibility of those creating new technologies.
"What Orwell prophesied in '1984,' where technology
was being used to monitor, control, dictate, or what Huxley imagined we may do
just by distracting ourselves without any meaning or purpose -- neither of
these futures is something that we want," he said
"The future of computing is going to be defined by
the choices that you as developers make and the impact of those choices on the
world."
There is much discussion in the tech world about what AI
will mean for society, especially since it is quickly driving change that could
eliminate jobs, with applications such as self-driving trucks or
"bots" which take over many skilled functions.
"What happens to lower-level, blue-collar jobs that
might be impacted?" Gartner research director of app design and
development Jason Wong ask rhetorically.
"That is part of the dystopia that can occur because
of the abruptness of AI; in less than a generation we will be seeing things
like driverless cars."
- AI everywhere -
Microsoft is infusing all of its products and services
with AI, and enabling those who develop on its platform to imbue creations with
customized capabilities, according to executive vice president of artificial
intelligence and research Harry Shum.
"We've been creating the building blocks for the
current wave of AI breakthroughs for more than two decades," Shum said.
Microsoft research has gone deep into areas such as
machine learning, speech recognition, and enabling machines to recognize what
they "see."
"Now, we're in the unique position of being able to
use those decades of research breakthroughs," Shum said.
Microsoft rivals including Amazon, Apple, Google and IBM
have all been aggressively pursing the promise and potential of artificial
intelligence.
Artificial intelligence is getting a foothold in people's
homes, with personal assistants answering questions and controlling connected
devices such as appliances or light bulbs.
Digital assistants already boast features such as
reminding people of appointments entered into calendars and chiming in with
advice to set out early if traffic is challenging.
- Cloud touching ground -
Microsoft's aim on Wednesday was on businesses and software
developers, whether they be students building mobile games or professional
technology teams.
"Microsoft is trying to use AI for businesses to
solve business problems and app developers to make applications better,"
said Moor Insights and Strategy principal analyst Patrick Moorhead.
"Which is different from Amazon, Facebook, and
Google whose primary business model is to mine personal information using AI to
sell you things or put ads in front of you."
Microsoft is taking a unique approach by letting
developers customize gesture commands, voice recognition and more instead of
making them conform to settings in "off-the-shelf" AI, according to
the analyst.
Microsoft executives used demonstrations to depict a near
future in which artificial intelligence hosted online works with internet
linked devices such as construction site cameras to alert workers of dangers,
available tools, or unauthorized activities.
Devices like smart surveillance cameras, smartphones, or
factory floor machines were referred to as "edge computing," with the
coordination of cloud power and intelligent edge devices improving productivity
and safety on the ground.
- Windows gains -
Nadella also told developers that some 500 million devices
now run on Microsoft's latest Windows 10 operating system, creating a huge
audience for their software creations.
Microsoft's online Office 365 service has some 100
million commercial users monthly, while its Cortana digital assistant is used
by 140 million people monthly.
"The future is a smart cloud," Nadella said,
predicting that mobile devices will take back seats to digital assistants that
follow people from device to device.
"It is a pretty amazing world you can create using
intelligent cloud and intelligent edge."
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