Cluster partner Microsoft works with the company behind this year's tech buzz
ChatGPT has taken the world by storm since its launch in November 2022. The technology is so impressive that many experts are alarmed, but Microsoft's Norwegian team remains optimistic.
The famous language assistant is developed by OpenAIwith strong support from powerhouse Microsoft. In January of this year, Microsoft announced that through its third billion-dollar investment in OpenAI, it plans to introduce the technology behind ChatGPT The famous language assistant is developed by OpenAI, with strong support from powerhouse Microsoft. In January of this year, Microsoft announced that through its third billion-dollar investment in OpenAI, it plans to introduce the technology behind ChatGPT across its products and introduce new categories of digital experiences.
"We are renewing this partnership because we have a shared ambition to accelerate the development of artificial intelligence, and do so responsibly, democratizing artificial intelligence as a new technology platform," comments Jon Jahren, Director of Azure Cloud & AI at Microsoft Norge. The company is a member of Cluster for Applied AI, one of three clusters led by Smart Innovation Norway.
In the long term, OpenAI's artificial intelligence can be built into several of Microsoft's products, such as Word, Powerpoint, and Outlook. In addition, Microsoft is implementing ChatGPT in its search engine Bing, which could seriously challenge Google's position in the area.
Like communicating with a human
Simply put, ChatGPT is a language model that gives you the feeling of communicating with a human, not a machine. Jahren believes it has become a buzz among both experts and the general public precisely because no other models based on artificial intelligence (AI) have been as good as ChatGPT at understanding and generating text.
"ChatGPT has proven to be a great way to demonstrate the usefulness of such language models to a broad audience. Here, new user groups can immediately increase productivity, acquire new knowledge, or unleash their creativity," he notes.
On Tuesday, March 14, the latest version of the language model was launched, called GPT-4. This is the most powerful model to date and can solve more challenging tasks with better precision than its predecessor, GPT-3. In addition, GPT-4 produces more useful responses.
Experts call for break in development
The performance of the latest version of ChatGPT is so impressive that more than 500 of the most influential technology experts in the world have signed a letter of concern to OpenAI and other AI labs asking them to pause development of the AI technology, until adequate security measures have been put in place. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has confirmed that they have not yet started training GPT-5.
Jon Jahren thinks the world has only seen a preview of what's coming through ChatGPT. That's why Microsoft is also concerned that the development of AI is happening responsibly.
"Our strategy in this area has not come overnight. There have been decades of research from Microsoft and across the industry. We believe AI has the potential to solve some of humanity's biggest problems, helping people become more creative and more productive."
He adds:
"We should move forward with hope for innovation and optimism, while holding ourselves accountable for doing so safely for all who are impacted by this.”
Artificial intelligence in the future
Although development has happened very quickly in recent years and language models such as ChatGPT both amaze and frighten, Microsoft's Norwegian cloud director sees no reason to blacken the situation.
"Artificial intelligence has the potential to dramatically improve how people create, work and communicate. Since Microsoft's fundamental vision is to help people solve real challenges and achieve more, it is only natural that artificial intelligence becomes an important technology for us,” he emphasizes.
Jahren admits that both he and his colleagues were taken aback by how widely ChatGPT has hit and the engagement the technology has created.
"When a new technology suddenly becomes a topic of conversation around the dinner table in thousands of homes, you get chills when you're in the middle of it yourself. The development of artificial intelligence has been quite steady for several decades, but we expect a boost in adoption among existing customers and in startup environments like Smart Innovation Norway represents. There will be a lot happening in the years to come!"
Have a look at what Jon Jahren had to say about the development within AI when he attended AI+ 2023: