WATCH THE VIDEO HERE Tech giant, Microsoft, has unveiled its AI Access Principles, a document highlighting its role and responsibility in the development of AI globally. The company unveiled the document at the ongoing Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. According to Microsoft, these new principles help put in context the new investments and programs it announced and launched across Europe over the past two weeks. The investments, it said, include $5.6 billion in new AI data centres and new AI skilling programs that will reach more than a million people. This comes as the company backing OpenAI also announced a new partnership with France’s leading AI company, Mistral AI. Highlighting the role AI is playing in the global economy, including creating new job opportunities, Microsoft said it is now ready to make bigger investments in the technology. Microsoft said it recognizes that countries need more than advanced AI chips and data centres to sustain their competitive edge and unlock economic growth and that is why it is marrying AI infrastructure capacity with AI skilling capability, combining the two to advance innovation. The announcement of Microsoft’s AI Principles comes at the same time that the company is facing increasing regulatory scrutiny for its $13 billion investment in OpenAI, which currently gives it a 49% stake in the startup that is leading the charge for generative AI services globally. In January, the European competition watchdog said that it was assessing whether the investment falls under antitrust rules. The investigation is particularly looking at how third parties might use Microsoft’s platforms and services to develop AI products, a critical business area, and enterprise service that the company hopes to develop in coming years.
Microsoft unveils ‘AI Access Principles’ to drive new investments in technology
