Babbage: Sam Altman and Satya Nadella on their vision for AI

JAN 24, 202445 MIN
Babbage from The Economist

Babbage: Sam Altman and Satya Nadella on their vision for AI

JAN 24, 202445 MIN

Description

<p>OpenAI and Microsoft are leaders in generative artificial intelligence (AI). OpenAI has built GPT-4, one of the world’s most sophisticated large language models (LLMs) and Microsoft is injecting those algorithms into its products, from Word to Windows.&nbsp;</p><br><p>At the World Economic Forum in Davos last week, Zanny Minton Beddoes, <em>The Economist</em>’s editor-in-chief, <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2024/01/17/the-bosses-of-openai-and-microsoft-talk-to-the-economist?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=babbage&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">interviewed Sam Altman and Satya Nadella</a>, who run OpenAI and Microsoft respectively. They explained their vision for humanity’s future with AI and addressed some thorny questions looming over the field, such as how AI that is better than humans at doing tasks might affect productivity and how to ensure that the technology doesn’t pose existential risks to society.</p><br><p>Host: Alok Jha, <em>The Economist</em>'s science and technology editor. Contributors: Zanny Minton Beddoes, editor-in-chief of <em>The Economist</em>; Ludwig Siegele, <em>The Economist</em>’s senior editor, AI initiatives; Sam Altman, chief executive of OpenAI; Satya Nadella, chief executive of Microsoft.&nbsp;</p><br><p>If you subscribe to <em>The Economist</em>, you can watch the full interview on our <a href="https://www.economist.com/subscriber-events/a-conversation-with-openais-sam-altman-and-microsofts-satya-nadella-hub?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=babbage&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">website or app</a>.&nbsp;</p><br><p>Essential listening, from our archive:</p><br><p>“<a href="https://www.economist.com/podcasts/2023/12/27/ai-generated-counterfeit-people-are-worrying-daniel-dennett" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Daniel Dennett</a> on intelligence, both human and artificial”, December 27th 2023</p><br><p>“<a href="https://www.economist.com/podcasts/2023/11/22/fei-fei-li-on-why-we-should-avoid-existential-angst-about-the-future-of-ai" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Fei-Fei Li</a> on how to really think about the future of AI”, November 22nd 2023</p><br><p>“<a href="https://www.economist.com/podcasts/2023/09/13/mustafa-suleyman-on-the-coming-age-of-ai" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Mustafa Suleyman</a> on how to prepare for the age of AI”, September 13th 2023</p><br><p>“<a href="https://www.economist.com/vint-cerf-pod" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Vint Cerf</a> on how to wisely regulate AI”, July 5th 2023</p><br><p>“Is <a href="https://www.economist.com/GPT4-pod" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">GPT-4</a> the dawn of true artificial intelligence?”, with Gary Marcus, March 22nd 2023</p><br><p><em>Sign up for a </em><a href="http://www.economist.com/podcastsplus-babbage" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>free trial</em></a><em> of Economist Podcasts+. If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you’ll have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our </em><a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>FAQs page</em></a><em> or watch </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48TlDbL-4vU" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>our video</em></a><em> explaining how to link your account.</em></p>