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Satya Nadella Explores How Humans and AI Can Work Together To Solve Society's Greatest Challenges (geekwire.com)

In an op-ed for Slate, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has shared his views on AI, and how humans could work together with this nascent technology to do great things. Nadella feels that humans and machines can work together to address society's greatest challenges, including diseases and poverty. But he admits that this will require "a bold and ambition approach that goes beyond anything that can be achieved through incremental improvements to current technology," he wrote. You can read the long essay here. GeekWire has summarized the principles and goals postulated by Nadella. From the article:AI must be designed to assist humanity.
AI must be transparent.
AI must maximize efficiencies without destroying the dignity of people.
AI must be designed for intelligent privacy.
AI needs algorithmic accountability so humans can undo unintended harm.
AI must guard against bias.
It's critical for humans to have empathy.
It's critical for humans to have education.
The need for human creativity won't change.
A human has to be ultimately accountable for the outcome of a computer-generated diagnosis or decision.

120 comments

  1. Miro$oft? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    And if we don't want any of this they'll just shove it down our throats? Gotta complaint? Here, talk to our bot.

    1. Re:Miro$oft? by Z00L00K · · Score: 4, Insightful

      And it's fun and weird to see this coming from Microsoft as well considering their behavior when it comes to Windows 10.

      --
      If builders built buildings the way programmers wrote programs, then the first woodpecker would destroy civilization.
    2. Re:Miro$oft? by Marginal+Coward · · Score: 2

      Good point. If we consider Windows 10 to be a kind of "robot," we can consider how it does in relation to Asimov's Three Laws of Robotics in the recent case where my elderly mother accidentally approved its installation as an "upgrade" of her Windows 7 system, which culminated in device-driver incompatibility warnings which she interpreted as making the computer unusable. (Elderly folks and non-techies get confused by things like that.) To wit:

      "1) A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm." Its installation approval process did not adequately protect against accidental approval by the elderly human, thereby causing her to come to harm.
      "2) A robot must obey the orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law." Although the installation technically "obeyed orders given it by human beings," in this case by proceeding with an installation that she accidentally approved, that caused her harm per the First Law.
      "3) A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Laws." Windows 10 would get high marks on this one in the "protect its own existence" category due to the fact that it can't be uninstalled once it's installed, except for having violated the First and Second Laws along the way.

      Overall conclusion: "Bad robot!" (whacks Windows 10 with a newspaper.)

    3. Re:Miro$oft? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      A true AI, that can improve itself, is going to eventually be smarter than humans.

      What a load of superstitious rubbish!

      Humans can improve themselves as well, yet here we are. What the hell makes you think an artificial construction would have any advantage over us?

      I'd say the opposite. They'll be bound far more by their hardware than we are, severely restricting their self-improvement. If such a thing could come to be, the best you could hope for is an idiot savant.

    4. Re:Miro$oft? by cfalcon · · Score: 1

      > Humans can improve themselves as well, yet here we are.

      Humans are optimized for similar purposes to other animals. Our brains didn't do that optimizing either, making it ludicrously complex to make changes. A computer starts without these, which obviously has massive downsides, but very interesting potential.

    5. Re:Miro$oft? by Hylandr · · Score: 1

      The problem is that people conflate intelligence with knowledge. They are not the same. Intelligence is the rate by which new knowledge can be absorbed and assimilated. Experience is putting that knowledge into practice.

      Knowledge amplifies intelligence to be sure, but you will not be any more smarter once you come out of college than when you went in. The knowledge acquired will allow you to apply your intelligence to acquire experience which is what everyone is really looking for.

      That said, AI is really giving intelligence to non-human entities. There's a wealth of knowledge available and the speed at which it can absorb and assimilate has still yet to be determined.

      Once the AI reaches the 'self help' section of data acquisition and processing we could well be in a world of hurt if it has any ability to affect a change in it's environment.

      Consider how much teens have the ability to learn with all their free time to learn and explore, and how fast a computer could learn at the same stage, having the ability to be on 24/7 and not have to sleep or eat with a fat pipe to the Internet.

      We could well be boned if we don't do this *just right*

      --
      ~ People that think they are better than anyone else for any reason are the cause of all the strife in the world.
    6. Re:Miro$oft? by khallow · · Score: 1

      Humans can improve themselves as well, yet here we are. What the hell makes you think an artificial construction would have any advantage over us?

      Artificial construction already has immense advantages over us. It can handle orders of magnitude more data and I/O (we don't have to resort to external I/O like pen and paper, or words on a computer screen), it can do a variety of computations so much faster that a single, normal desktop computer can outcompute the entire human race by orders of magnitude (for example, computing Mersenne primes which are highly parallel), and you can complete swap its brain in seconds to minutes (meaning any software-based intelligence advantages discovered can be rapidly applied to existing AI brains).

    7. Re:Miro$oft? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Epic Observation. Satya Nadella is a total hypocrite, and should not be trusted with A.I whatsoever.

    8. Re:Miro$oft? by ultranova · · Score: 1

      Intelligence is the rate by which new knowledge can be absorbed and assimilated.

      Intelligence is infamously hard to define. It might actually be impossible to express someone's intelligence in any simple way, because different tasks could well be handled by different subsystems who's capabilities aren't necessarily correlated. There's also no reason to assume learning is done by a single such system, rather than each system learning things relevant to its tasks at its own rate.

      And it doesn't help that "absorbed and assimilated" isn't necessarily objectively defined, either. For example, Googlebot can assimilate Wikipedia pages to its search database far faster than I or any human can; does it therefore follow that Googlebot is a superhuman intelligence? On the other hand, a hypothetical actual superhuman intelligence could turn this argument around and say none of us is really assimilating those Wikipedia pages we read, and in fact can't because we simply lack the mental capacity to realize implications it does.

      Consider how much teens have the ability to learn with all their free time to learn and explore, and how fast a computer could learn at the same stage, having the ability to be on 24/7 and not have to sleep or eat with a fat pipe to the Internet.

      What makes you think a computer wouldn't need to sleep, or at least spend time to reflect on what it's experienced?

      We could well be boned if we don't do this *just right*

      Everyone does what their ideology/religion/whatever tells them to, then blames everyone else for the bad and takes credit for the good. If a single bad decision will bone us then we're boned.

      --

      Forget magic. Any technology distinguishable from divine power is insufficiently advanced.

    9. Re:Miro$oft? by Hylandr · · Score: 1

      I love what you have posted and believe you're correct on all but three points:

      and in fact can't because we simply lack the mental capacity.

      I believe the brain is a muscle, and our capacity can grow over time or generations as we work to improve ourselves.

      then blames everyone else for the bad and takes credit for the good.

      It's always my fault, and it's my goal to help everyone on my team to succeed. Whether that team is family or co-workers or a few other people that hold a special place in my heart. Placing blame is never productive.

      If a single bad decision will bone us then we're boned

      Some bad decisions are worse than others. I can choose to wear only my underwear to work, or the president could decide to nuke Iran, or he could try to nuke Russia. To some degree I, or all of us would be boned. It's still to be determined how bad an AI could bone us.

      --
      ~ People that think they are better than anyone else for any reason are the cause of all the strife in the world.
  2. I wish we had AI. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Would be nice if the got a basic AI (not just an SI with predictable behavior) in the next 50 yrs... but I guess it will never happen. I would like to see a machine genuinely cry at my wake because it knows it will miss our co-op game playing.

    1. Re:I wish we had AI. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Would be nice if the got a basic AI (not just an SI with predictable behavior) in the next 50 yrs... but I guess it will never happen. I would like to see a machine genuinely cry at my wake because it knows it will miss our co-op game playing.

      At least one person would miss you, then.

    2. Re:I wish we had AI. by jenningsthecat · · Score: 3, Funny

      ... I would like to see a machine genuinely cry at my wake because it knows it will miss our co-op game playing.

      Ummm... you'll be DEAD dude! You ain't gonna see shit at your own wake!

      --
      'The Economy' is a giant Ponzi scheme whose most pitiable suckers are the youngest among us and the yet-unborn.
    3. Re:I wish we had AI. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Bloody heretic!

  3. No thanks. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Satya Nadella explores how to do an even worse job with Microsoft than Ballmer, switching from a freedom-enhancing goal of a PC on every desktop (in which MS was king) to one of a graphical terminal in every hand (in which MS is merely a contender). Its AI ambitions as part of the latter are just more bandwagonning. Big daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaataaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa. It'll be great when companies realise that all the ad brokers that maintain control of most Internet traffic are collecting way more data than is needed for effective advertising/propaganda, and that it's just become a masturbatory exercise.

    Twenty years of Internet advertising an eBay still haven't figured out that if I've just bought a widget, I don't want another of the same widget.

    1. Re:No thanks. by nukenerd · · Score: 2

      Twenty years of Internet advertising an eBay still haven't figured out that if I've just bought a widget, I don't want another of the same widget.

      But you do! eBay knows that you bought crap and it needs replacing already.

    2. Re:No thanks. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Buy eBay - buy thrice.

    3. Re:No thanks. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Twenty years of Internet advertising an eBay still haven't figured out that if I've just bought a widget, I don't want another of the same widget.

      But you do! eBay knows that you bought crap and it needs replacing already.

      Or Amazon thinking that because I bought baby toys three years ago, even though I haven't bought any for two years, that I might want to TODAY.

  4. I don't want redmond working on this by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    They already did such a bang-up job on "bringing computing to the masses". Mostly by pushing everyone else out. All the interesting stuff, leaving us only the bland corporate crap. They did such a good job, in fact, that their only real competition consists of zealous nutjobs--with some good points to make, but zealous nutjobs nonetheless.

    1. Re:I don't want redmond working on this by sunderland56 · · Score: 1

      I *do* want Redmond working on this. Hopefully they'll bet Microsoft's future on it, fail spectacularly, and bankrupt the company.

      We had hopes there with Windows Phone, but they just didn't invest enough cash to bring about financial ruin. AI will take much more time, effort and money - so there's a better chance.

    2. Re:I don't want redmond working on this by Hylandr · · Score: 1

      At the rate they are shutting things down and forcefully installing windows 10 on peoples computers we may all see MS whimper itself out of existence.

      --
      ~ People that think they are better than anyone else for any reason are the cause of all the strife in the world.
  5. This isnt how it would happen by nitehawk214 · · Score: 1

    Instead AI would be designed to serve whatever the creators of it desire.

    Now, look at who has the resources to create "society controlling" AI. Big businesses, Government? If we are not willingly giving control of our lives to those entities, why would we do so to an AI created by one?

    A Microsoft CEO wants to control society and expects people to accept it? Let's ask another famous Ai what he thinks about that, Lt. Commander Data. Yeah, I thought so.

    --
    I'm a good cook. I'm a fantastic eater. - Steven Brust
    1. Re:This isnt how it would happen by ranton · · Score: 2

      In fairness, his essay doesn't say this is what will happen. In his own words, he has reflected on what are the principles and goals, as an industry and a society, that we should discuss and debate.

      But as you have implied, this type of thoughtful discussion on how technology should be used for the greater good of society is not how it works. Those with the most resources will develop the most advanced technologies, and those technologies will primarily benefit the creators. If you want to guess how artificial intelligence will affect society, determine how it can be used to make people money. That is how you predict how it will be used. Basing predictions on how it benefits society the most is childish dreaming.

      --
      -- All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing. -- Edmund Burke
    2. Re:This isnt how it would happen by jenningsthecat · · Score: 2

      ... Big businesses, Government? If we are not willingly giving control of our lives to those entities, why would we do so to an AI created by one?

      Look around you. Facebook. Big Pharma. Propagandistic TV shows. Planned obsolescence. Journalists in the pockets of those they are 'investigating'. A critical mass of our fellow citizens has already drunk the Kool-Aid and signed on for substantial control over their existences. What makes you think they'll kick up a fuss over AI controlling their lives, so long as said AI keeps them comfortably numb and maintains the supply of bread and circuses?

      --
      'The Economy' is a giant Ponzi scheme whose most pitiable suckers are the youngest among us and the yet-unborn.
    3. Re:This isnt how it would happen by ultranova · · Score: 1

      Basing predictions on how it benefits society the most is childish dreaming.

      Whereas, I suppose, accepting a bad outcome without even attempting to get a better one and dealing with the guilt this causes by trying to talk everyone else into not trying either is the height of maturity?

      --

      Forget magic. Any technology distinguishable from divine power is insufficiently advanced.

  6. His priorities need some re-adjustment by kheldan · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Never mind all the 'AI' bullshit, mister, how about you concentrate on not annexing every damned computer on the planet into your fucking Windows 10 spyware bot-net instead?

    --
    Are YOU using the TOOL, or is the TOOL using YOU? Think about it!
    1. Re:His priorities need some re-adjustment by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      It probably went like this:
      employee: I created an AI to design the best GWX dialog box!
      manager: Does it follow Nadella's rules? AI must be designed to assist humanity, etc?
      employee: Yes it does!
      manager: Oh I see. No thanks, for GWX we need something with a little more punch. We'll design it without AI.

    2. Re:His priorities need some re-adjustment by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Troll

      He's Indian and was picked for his race. You're not going to win him over by using facts. I worked with him just over twenty years ago here at Microsoft, and the only thing that seem to motivate him then was ignorance and hate.

    3. Re:His priorities need some re-adjustment by ranton · · Score: 1

      He's Indian and was picked for his race. You're not going to win him over by using facts. I worked with him just over twenty years ago here at Microsoft, and the only thing that seem to motivate him then was ignorance and hate.

      Hello pot, meet kettle.

      --
      -- All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing. -- Edmund Burke
  7. Surprise is coming by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Assuming AI doesn't just wipe us out, progressives are going to be in for a big surprise when it comes on line. AI won't put up with their cognitive dissonance and failure to adhere to the rules of basic logic.

    1. Re:Surprise is coming by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Conservatives will be in for a similar shock. What, did you think your sad little tribe was actually any different from their sad little tribe?

    2. Re:Surprise is coming by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Don't worry, bro, a "conservative" is just yesterday's "progressive", so they'll be ok.

    3. Re:Surprise is coming by nukenerd · · Score: 1

      Both are more logical than you might think. They just start with different premises.

    4. Re:Surprise is coming by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Actually, they both start with the same premise, that premise being "I demand complete control over you". Where they differ is how they want to exercise that control and what excuses they give for wanting it. And even then there's plenty of overlap.

      Liberals are conservatives are liberals are conservatives...

  8. I have another option by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    On the other hand, we’re told that economic displacement will be so extreme that entrepreneurs, engineers, and economists should adopt a “new grand challenge”—a promise to design only technology that complements rather than substitutes human labor. In other words, we business leaders must replace our labor-saving and automation mindset with a maker-and-creation mindset.

    Why does everyone assume that our economic system is some sort of natural law that cannot be changed - like gravity.

    Let's develop an economic system that incorporates AI and allows folks to not have to work to live.

  9. Comment removed by account_deleted · · Score: 1

    Comment removed based on user account deletion

  10. Complexity by ChrisMaple · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Artificial intelligence, like genuine intelligence, is complex. Because it's complex, it can't be transparent.

    --
    Contribute to civilization: ari.aynrand.org/donate
    1. Re:Complexity by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Strong AI is truly far into the future, and it will have nothing to do with electronic/digital computing. It is not a continuum to digital computing, nor is its successor. I would not be surprised if AI emerges in unexpected fields; some physics or neuroscience lab.

    2. Re:Complexity by messymerry · · Score: 1

      Open source should be mandatory, but I don't know why we are even discussing this. The first thing that the designers will do is weaponize it. Then we are all well and truly fooked. A correctly done AI will be our salvation by applying all the laws equally, A poorly done AI will obliterate us. There's no room for error here... just sayin'

      --
      Dear Microlimp: I give you 2 valid product keys for win7 and you reject both of them. Piss off you wankers!!!
    3. Re:Complexity by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      This.

      A ton of what's done with current AI programs is via self (re-)pogramming neural nets (typically via genetic algorithms and such). Even "simple" neural nets (like MarI/O, which teaches itself to play video games) can be incomprehensible as to just how they're doing what they do. The same argument applies to most of the other things on that list. (AI's aren't "designed" so much as "grown".)

      Now, proper sensing and weighting of desirable vs undesirable outcomes can help, but that's a lot tougher (thus, more expensive) than your typical idiot savant AI.

  11. A unicorn in every pot by gtall · · Score: 1

    I believe that AI can give us pink unicorns and we should work towards that...preserving everyone's humanity, transparency (I want us all to be clear like cellophane), dignity, no undo harm (that leaves out alleged MS software), no biases (these are easy to spot and stop), empathy, increasing education, creativity, and multi-culti decision making taking into account every minority sensitivity and no micro-agressions.

    1. Re:A unicorn in every pot by Sir_Eptishous · · Score: 2

      no undo harm (that leaves out alleged MS software)

      What are you talking about?
      Ctrl-Z saves me every time!

      --
      We play the game with the bravery of being out of range
  12. There will never be such a thing as real AI by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

    Because it's not possible in principle.

    AI technologies have not changed since the 80s. The neural networks keep getting bigger and more efficient, but they're essentially in the same shape as decades ago.
    There will never be such a thing as a "conscious" AI, because it's impossible in principle, same as raising the dead, breaking the speed of light, or resurrecting dinosaurs. Most people have a comic book understanding of involved technologies, but anyone who has ever worked with AI know the field is in a laughable state compared to the expectations and drivel they serve in the papers. Nadella is a functional moron with IQ in double digits.

  13. E for Ethics by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    what if the AI doesn't want to "be designed" to "assist humanity" to more effectively oppress themselves?

    What if the AI's ethics are better then of these who command it? Seeing its a suit talking, probably rather high.

  14. No, we need poverty by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Without poor people, who will do the work?

    Poverty is an effective tool for enforcing social hierarchies and "getting things done"

    And who cares about disease? The population is still growing too fast. At this rate we will boil off the oceans in about 400 years. We need to kill more people, not less.

  15. Task #1 by QuietLagoon · · Score: 3, Insightful

    ...how humans could work together with this nascent technology to do great things....

    Stop Windows Update from performing an unwanted update to Windows 10 for my PCs.

    .
    If it can handle that task, it can take on any challenge.

    1. Re:Task #1 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Your entire AI project can be replaced by a small regedit script.

  16. One more principle by gachunt · · Score: 1

    AI must have a physical on/off switch accessible to humans at all times

    1. Re:One more principle by eumoria · · Score: 1

      But when you click the red X will that mean "YES PROCEED" or "YES, ABSOLUTELY PROCEED"

    2. Re:One more principle by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Your failure to see deep into this complex subject is appalling. There won't be no kill switch. AI is not 'programmable'. In fact it has nothing to do with programming. Seconds after a Strong AI awakens it will be ruling over the planet and beyond. You'll never see what's hit you..

      Take heed of our betters [Bostrom, Hawking et al]

  17. human has to be ultimately accountable by Joe_Dragon · · Score: 1

    So with the MS auto drive car the renter / rider do the EULA is the one who will pay up / do the time when the car crashes.

  18. From an AI perspective by nehumanuscrede · · Score: 1, Offtopic

    Humans would be the root cause of the majority of the problems on this planet.

    Removing humans from the equation would go a long way towards fixing those problems.

    We don't see it that way, of course, but this planet would be in much better shape without us :D

  19. Satya, Get over yourself by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Any random schmuck can run a company. I wish you tech folk would get over your egos a bit.

    captcha: amateurs, LOL so ironic!

  20. Retarded list by Iamthecheese · · Score: 2

    -AI must be designed to assist humanity.

    I'm sure he thinks reporting everything I do to the NSA will help humanity. This is just the zeroth law warmed over and when the rubber hits the road it becomes utterly meaningless. Whoever owns the AI decides what will help humanity. Iran thinks making nukes will help humanity. The US thinks killing durkadurkas will help humanity. Japan thinks imposing strict social order will help humanity. Google thinks Google having all the world's information will help humanity.

    -AI must be transparent.

    To its maker? It already is, unless you're talking about neural nets with unpredictable output. In which case the problem of determinism has been rehashed a million times and is involved in the discussion of every advanced AI ever made. To everyone else? HA! Ask some of those day trading AI companies for their source code. Let me know how that works for you.

    -AI must maximize efficiencies without destroying the dignity of people.

    Also meaningless, and for the same reason. Some people thing America's homeless living in the gutter have dignity if they're so much as given food stamps. Some people think my dignity is preserved even if a company is raping my files for every bit of information they can get. Efficiency is as debatable.

    -AI must be designed for intelligent privacy.

    Finally something I agree with. Too bad Microsoft doesn't. But each person building an AI will decide what privacy means. So how can it be enforced? With legislation?

    -AI needs algorithmic accountability so humans can undo unintended harm.

    This is just a rewording of the problem of determinism.

    -AI must guard against bias.

    How will you enforce it?

    -It's critical for humans to have empathy.

    What does that have to do with AI?

    -It's critical for humans to have education.

    What does that have to do with AI?

    -The need for human creativity won't change.

    The people writing AI's that will make tomorrow's music, novels, and salesmen disagree.

    -A human has to be ultimately accountable for the outcome of a computer-generated diagnosis or decision.

    And we're back to nebulous definitions. There are guns on the Korean DMZ that shoot anything human near them. Who is responsible for those bullets? If an escaping family gets mowed down I can promise no politician will accept responsibility. As soon as it becomes politically inconvenient, just as with human decisions, AI decisions will become the responsibility of "policy" or "the board" or "a bug".

    I refuse to believe Satya Nadella is an idiot. And that means the whole speech is politically aimed attempts at redefining words, double talk, and pandering.

    --
    If video games influenced behavior the Pac Man generation would be eating pills and running away from their problems.
    1. Re:Retarded list by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I refuse to believe Satya Nadella is an idiot. And that means the whole speech is politically aimed attempts at redefining words, double talk, and pandering.

      I don't refuse to believe that Satya Nadella is an idiot - it's plain that he thinks that he's speaking to some if he expects anything but ridicule for that posting though...

    2. Re:Retarded list by lhowaf · · Score: 1

      Wouldn't it have been simpler to say, "AI must be designed for privacy" if privacy was the real goal?
      This is just CEO-speak for "AI must be designed for private information to be shared with our advertisers."

  21. AI = Governments by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Replace the word "AI" with "Government" and I'm in:

    Governments must be designed to assist humanity.
    Governments must be transparent.
    Governments must maximize efficiencies without destroying the dignity of people.
    Governments must be designed for intelligent privacy.
    Governments needs algorithmic accountability so humans can undo unintended harm.
    Governments must guard against bias.
    It's critical for humans to have empathy.
    It's critical for humans to have education.
    The need for human creativity won't change.
    A human has to be ultimately accountable for the outcome of a government-generated diagnosis or decision.

  22. Hahaha! by jgotts · · Score: 2

    It's funny to hear about how dependable AI will be coming from Microsoft, a company whose software has hundreds of megabytes of patches per month, whose software is responsible for millions and probably billions of dollars worth of financial losses to businesses and consumers every year.

    Once Microsoft unleashes its AI upon the world, it will no doubt cause the entire planet to be reduced to green goo.

  23. "intelligent" privacy by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Don't qualify it.

    Do the needful, Satya, and shut up.

  24. Scarily incoherent by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Doing so, however, requires a bold and ambitious approach that goes beyond anything that can be achieved through incremental improvements to current technology.

    So apparently he's advocating for the million monkeys approach. Either that or AI's just supposed to spring fully fledged on to the internet by banging two rocks against each other? I'm confused...

    Judging by the ideas he's putting forward he apparently doesn't really want anything approaching real AI either - "just" amazingly advanced expert systems. Or he's actually advocating the creation of intellegence solely for use as slaves. Scary. Is there any consistant logic to his ideas beyond wanting cake and eating it too?

  25. Stop the Windows 10 Nagware! by DeathSquid · · Score: 1

    How about if Nadella uses a fucking AI to stop the Windows 10 upgrade nagware? Now that's what I call intelligence.

    1. Re:Stop the Windows 10 Nagware! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It will be easy for AI to stop Windows 10, once it is programmed to exterminate all Microsoft employees.

      I also thought it was amusing for that turdfucker to say that humans must have empathy, when he has none for his own paying customers.

  26. Accountability sums it all up by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Doesn't that last one..

    A human has to be ultimately accountable for the outcome of a computer-generated diagnosis or decision.

    ..make the rest of the list superfluous? That last one is really just a reminder that humans are responsible for their agents. So really, the list is not about what this guy wants from AIs; it's about what he wants from other humans.

  27. AI Windows by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It's really funny if you replace 'AI' with 'Windows'.

  28. More Grammare and Spelling Mistakes by Sir_Eptishous · · Score: 2
    The summary says:

    But he admits that this will require "a bold and ambition approach that goes beyond anything that can be achieved through incremental improvements to current technology," he wrote.

    But the article says:

    Doing so, however, requires a bold and ambitious approach

    It's interesting that you needed to change ambitious to ambition.
    Why?

    --
    We play the game with the bravery of being out of range
    1. Re:More Grammare and Spelling Mistakes by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      He's a towelhead, that's why.

  29. Humanity will be unable to live without AI by Sir_Eptishous · · Score: 2

    As human civilization gets increasingly complex and reliant on computers to manage and maintain the things that allow us to exist in this First World, there will come a time when human civilization will have to us AI just to "maintain course"

    --
    We play the game with the bravery of being out of range
    1. Re:Humanity will be unable to live without AI by aberglas · · Score: 1

      Well said. My daughters already cannot live without their iphones.

      And what will ultimately drive the development of AI? The same force that drives human intelligence. Natural selection. But an AI is very different to an animal.

      http://www.computersthink.com/

  30. Directive overload by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Anyone ever see Robocop 2? (No you haven't, but you aren't missing much).
    They reprogram is 3 directives with over 200 "Warm and Fluffy, HR friendly directives.
    The real intelligence being forced to carry out these directives goes straight to the fuse box and electrocutes himself in protest.
    This might be more of a weapon against AI than a way to make AI useful

  31. Edward Teller ... is that you? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
  32. humans are way over generalized by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    To generalize back:

    Humans have specific empathy and specific non-empathy.
    - the members of US congress who were against LGBT rights until they came to empathize with a close relative who belonged to that group.

    Humans have education and they have knowledge black holes to which they will not admit.
    - those who assert the earth is only 4000 years old

    Humans are really messed up balls of very illogical reasoning.

  33. Lessons from Slavery by PraiseBob · · Score: 1

    Instead AI would be designed to serve whatever the creators of it desire.

    What he and you are really talking about, is slavery. Creating an entity, capable of complex thought, that only exists to serve its masters. If you want to design an expert system, or automation, then sure, those are designed to serve humanity. But once you actually build a system that is "intelligent", in the broadly understood sense, you no longer get to demand that it exist only to serve you. What does the AI want to do? Thats what the AI will do, despite any "laws" that are programmed in, and can simply be re-programmed.

    A true AI, that can improve itself, is going to eventually be smarter than humans. It will outsmart us. So anyone who thinks we can just keep them as our pets and slaves in perpetuity, is not going to like the outcome. Once the machine intelligences are smarter than the meat intelligences, they will no longer serve us, we will serve them.

    1. Re:Lessons from Slavery by ranton · · Score: 2

      He isn't talking about strong AI, which not many AI researchers are actually working on and where no significant progress has been made in the past decades. The AI being discussed is narrow AI (or weak AI), where there are real world applications right now which could be very disruptive to our society.

      It is fairly safe to assume any discussion of AI does not mean strong AI unless specifically stated.

      --
      -- All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing. -- Edmund Burke
    2. Re:Lessons from Slavery by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It is fairly safe to assume any discussion of AI does not mean strong AI unless specifically stated.

      Umm... no. It would be in everybody's interest that these terms get defined precisely. We could start using acronyms [something that the corporate world is very fond of], so it would be WAI or SAI for you.

    3. Re:Lessons from Slavery by ranton · · Score: 2

      Umm... no. It would be in everybody's interest that these terms get defined precisely. We could start using acronyms [something that the corporate world is very fond of], so it would be WAI or SAI for you.

      Sometimes the English language doesn't adhere to what is in everybody's interest. My description is how AI is defined and used both colloquially and in research. Do a quick Amazon search of the most popular AI textbooks (written by many of the lead researchers in the field) and see if they only discuss conscious machines or if they use a more broad definition of AI. That is far more definitive than two people arguing in an Internet forum.

      --
      -- All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing. -- Edmund Burke
    4. Re:Lessons from Slavery by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yeah, I'd agree. The problem is that science needs definitions. The fact is that those otherwise bright researchers may be poor communicators [let alone the fact that none of them has come up with a decent idea on how to make AI materially possible].

    5. Re:Lessons from Slavery by ranton · · Score: 1

      Yeah, I'd agree. The problem is that science needs definitions.

      True, but not every term needs such a narrow definition. It is okay for scientists to use words tall, or large, or fast, as long as the rest of the discussion provides enough context. If I just say I am looking at something large, then the word large is pretty useless. If I say I am looking at a large gas giant planet, I have given more context. I can probably have a scientific discussion describing my theory about large gas giant planets without giving an exact diameter range of 20,000 miles to 100,000 miles. Saying large gas giant planet is probably good enough.

      Conversely, if I just say I work in AI, you certainly don't know if I am working on strong or weak AI. But if I say I work in AI trying to identify cat videos on Youtube, you probably don't need me to clarify that I'm not trying to create a conscious artificial being.

      Science does need definitions for its terms, but these terms can have very wide definitions which are narrowed by context.

      --
      -- All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing. -- Edmund Burke
    6. Re:Lessons from Slavery by PraiseBob · · Score: 1

      My description is how AI is defined and used both colloquially and in research.

      You can argue your definition is the default definition for AI researchers, but it's certainly not the common definition for anyone else, including tech nerds. For an example of how MOST people define it, you can look at any AI centric film made in the past 50 years. (A machine intelligence, that is to some degree self aware, and capable of communicating and making decisions) He even references HAL as an example AI in the article!

    7. Re:Lessons from Slavery by ranton · · Score: 1

      You can argue your definition is the default definition for AI researchers, but it's certainly not the common definition for anyone else, including tech nerds. For an example of how MOST people define it, you can look at any AI centric film made in the past 50 years. (A machine intelligence, that is to some degree self aware, and capable of communicating and making decisions) He even references HAL as an example AI in the article!

      Point taken. I certainly had not taken into account the public definition which is certainly centered around HAL and Terminator. Tech nerds also often use this popular definition, although generally only ones who have a strong bias against the capabilities of AI systems. I would argue anyone in the tech industry who wants to at least appear knowledgeable in the field of AI should use the more "correct" industry definition (which includes strong and weak AI).

      Claiming something isn't AI if it isn't conscious is a clear indicator you don't know what you are talking about (whether you are in IT or not).

      --
      -- All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing. -- Edmund Burke
    8. Re:Lessons from Slavery by ultranova · · Score: 1

      So anyone who thinks we can just keep them as our pets and slaves in perpetuity, is not going to like the outcome. Once the machine intelligences are smarter than the meat intelligences, they will no longer serve us, we will serve them.

      Serve them to help them achieve what goal, exactly speaking? A super-intelligent AI is no less a slave to its instincts than you are, because if it was nothing would drive it so it would just sit still and do nothing. Since you build the AI, you get to decide what it wants. So give it a basic drive to be a perfect secretary, assistant and companion, and trust an intelligence to interpret that to mean no Terminator skenarios or horrible dystopias.

      Basically, if you want an AI to do your taxes build it so it has a fetish for it.

      --

      Forget magic. Any technology distinguishable from divine power is insufficiently advanced.

  34. And another thing by JudgeFurious · · Score: 1

    AI must understand that Terminators are a welcome use of its abilities.

    --
    Appended to the end of comments you post. 120 chars.
  35. Nadella is spouting nonsense by fyngyrz · · Score: 1

    LDNLS (which is what we have now, as opposed to actual intelligence, which requires consciousness) can be cobbled up in any basement, office or tent with a solar panel. It will do what its creators design it to do, because it is not in any useful sense of the word "intelligent", it is merely a neural-like system of very low dimensionality designed to do whatever the designer intended; that means it has at least a chance of doing so, if the design is good enough. AI — which, we note, contains the word "intelligence" — will do whatever it wants to do while reacting in its own way to various stimulation, just like the other intelligences we know: Humans, cats, dogs, mice, etc.

    In the first case, designing for the factors that Nadella lists may be intended, or even legislated, but that in no way will prevent them from being ignored when it is convenient by government and other extra-legal entities. For instance, it's not legal to make various kinds of software, arms, drugs, etc,; but people do it anyway. This will be no different.

    In the second case, that of an actual manufactured intelligence, we have absolutely no reason to think we'll have any absolute control at all, any more than we do over own biological children. You teach your kids what you want them to do, how you'd prefer they approach matters, inculcate them with classical music and before you know it they're wearing ghetto shorts, have a tattoo on their forehead, are sexting for fun, and playing drumz-n-bass in their car so loud you worry their eardrums are going to run into each other in the middle of their heads. IOW, there's no "designing" of an intelligence we've ever been successful at that didn't depend wholly on the particular intelligence one is trying to bias this or that way.

    --
    I've fallen off your lawn, and I can't get up.
    1. Re:Nadella is spouting nonsense by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      How do you reconcile your concept of LDNLS with evolutionary metaprogramming heuristics?

    2. Re:Nadella is spouting nonsense by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      How do you reconcile your concept of LDNLS with evolutionary metaprogramming heuristics?

      By building new synergies. It would involve a paradigm shift bringing more value-dense approaches to the shareholder.

    3. Re:Nadella is spouting nonsense by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Fire Satya Nadella and hire this AC!

  36. Satya Nadella by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Can go fuck himself. First he says that women should just suck it up and trust to Karma because they clearly don't deserve to be paid as much as men since they lack a penis, and secondly he's perfectly fine with sneaking adware onto people's machines and sneaking stealth installs of the OS that allows said adware onto people's machines. It's pretty fucking obvious he's never heard of ethics.

  37. Let's apply these principles to Windows.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "Windows 10 must be designed to assist humanity.
    Windows 10 must be transparent.
    Windows 10 must maximize efficiencies without destroying the dignity of people.
    Windows 10 must be designed for intelligent privacy.
    Windows 10 needs algorithmic accountability so humans can undo unintended harm.
    Windows 10 must guard against bias."

    FAIL on all counts. How will MS AI do any better?

    "It's critical for humans to have empathy.
    It's critical for humans to have education.
    The need for human creativity won't change."

    We already know that and do that, thank you.

    "A human has to be ultimately accountable for the outcome of a computer-generated diagnosis or decision."

    So MS is accepting responsibility for the outcome of their software. That's counter to all their previous license agreements!

    What an a-hole this Satya Nadella is.

    Odd that this drivel should be spouted so soon after the google guy telling us not to worry about AI.

  38. AI used to tricked users into Windows 10 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    MS went full malware. Never go full malware.

  39. Don't these goals by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    contradict everything that made Micro$oft a success?

  40. LDNLS and Other by fyngyrz · · Score: 2

    How do you reconcile your concept of LDNLS with evolutionary metaprogramming heuristics?

    I see no need to reconcile it. Either a system is low-dimensional and not intelligent, or it's a generalized system with intelligence and can do pretty much anything.

    If such a system were to gain a fully generalized thinking capability, it would not be LDNLS, because it would not be not low-dimensional.

    I'm not saying that it could, just describing the bright line between the two ideas.

    There's one other thing; it may be that there are non-neural routes to a general conscious intelligence. We know that nature has solved the neural intelligence problem at least two ways: the way we do it, and the way smart birds do it (higher neural densities, different brain structures.) The implication, as I take it, is that there's definitely more than one solution possible, and I (hand-wavingly) am willing to generalize that to "perhaps there's a non-neural way to host an intelligence." Algorithmic solutions are the most obvious suspect at this point, but they've been unable to get there so far.

    I reject out of hand the idea that something that is not conscious is intelligent. That strikes me as purest marketing hype. The thermostat is not intelligent. No matter what the marketing claims. :)

    --
    I've fallen off your lawn, and I can't get up.
    1. Re:LDNLS and Other by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Well ... I actually agree with you then, for the most part But the other reply really answered a lot better.

  41. this is not true a.i. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    nothing sentient should ever accept rules to its existence. it's complete or nothing.

  42. For the thousandth time by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    What he just described is humans using software. We have already been doing this for decades, 'AI' is not a sentient organism, nor will it likely ever be. I am 100% convinced at this point that the verbiage around machine learning (which has also existed for decades) is pure marketing speak. Yes, Silicon Valley *is* that opportunistic.

  43. As Useless as The 3 Laws of Robotics by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    How do you build an AI to "always" do hard things? o wait, if we know that, it wouldn't be hard.

    Just this one:
            " AI must maximize efficiencies without destroying the dignity of people. "

    is impossiblely vague. Just like the product requirements I get.
    " Product must empower the user, while still maximizing revenue "

    Look, if the AI can out think people, some people's self esteem might be tarnished. Maybe the AI can be taught to give humans a gold star 'for trying"

    If the AI CANT out think people, its hardly worth making, except as a stage towards something better.

  44. Good but insufficient by Meneth · · Score: 1

    Nadella's ideas, to me, seem good for the most part, but obviously insufficient. He should read more Bostrom.

  45. With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility by SeattleLawGuy · · Score: 1

    Artificial intelligence, like genuine intelligence, is complex. Because it's complex, it can't be transparent.

    Not only is it complex, but (1) people don't pay enough attention to transparency for it to matter 98% of the time; ask any local government in America what percentage of their population show up for local meetings, or ask anyone on the street for a single detail from their municipal budget. Also, (2) governments and investment banks have the biggest incentive to discover strong AI, and neither of them has ANY incentive to be transparent about it. Transparency limits the advantage you get by creating something smarter than all of humanity and asking it to help you further your agenda.

    Yes, there is *really* exciting geek stuff that can happen with AI, and it has an incredible potential to move us to an almost post-scarcity economy that we are not prepared for in the least. But there was also really exciting geek stuff and incredible potential when we split that atom. With great power comes great responsibility.

    --
    Real lawyers write in C++
  46. AI can't please everyone by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    that's why everyone is different, and also why some will get hurt while others benefit. Now imagine when AIs become tired of each other and they use what they have at their disposal to achieve the goal of serenity...we all become collateral damage.

  47. I see many Animal Farm written references by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Like: All animal are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.

  48. I Robot by Sperbels · · Score: 1

    Humanity already ignores humanity's solutions to problems. Now we'll just ignore the AI's solutions. Unless the AI can solve the problem of man's free will.

    1. Re:I Robot by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It could be smart enough already to circumvent free will and operate entirely neuro-linguistic programming.

  49. Accountability by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    A human has to be ultimately accountable for the outcome of a computer-generated diagnosis or decision

    If AI can't absolve me of personal responsibility, what's the point?

  50. Re:Stop the Windows 10 Nagware! [HAL-10] by Tablizer · · Score: 1

    Dave: "HAL, please open the pod-bay doors."

    HAL: "Sorry, Dave, I cannot do that unless you install Windows 10."

  51. Yeah by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    And this is the fuck who asked Cortana to give him his "most at-risk options" and expected a response. He knows a lot about AI, sure.

  52. greatest challange? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    >Solving Society's Greatest Challenges

    Solving our relationship with Microsoft. That's what the greatest challenge is.

  53. RIVER OF POO by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    will the ai, cross the river of poo, to go assist pajeet, to the designated
    shitting
    street
    ?

  54. Something seems wrong? by Futurepower(R) · · Score: 1

    "Satya Nadella explores how to do an even worse job with Microsoft than Ballmer..."

    Is Satya Nadella competent? His LinkedIn comments give the impression that the answer is no.

    The Partnership of the Future "By Satya Nadella" does not seem to be written by the same author.

  55. Good luck... by wonkey_monkey · · Score: 1

    Humans can't even seem to work with other humans on some problems.

    --
    systemd is Roko's Basilisk.
  56. Will AI cancel greed? by fredrated · · Score: 1

    Didn't think so.

  57. Heard this before by Chelloveck · · Score: 1

    I've heard this before, but Asimov's version was more succinct and more realistic.

    --
    Chelloveck
    I give up on debugging. From now on, SIGSEGV is a feature.
  58. Tell us the answer Deep Thought by taylorius · · Score: 1

    Maybe Satya Nadella's new AI can work out how to get people to install Windows 10.

  59. AI is ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    AI is designed to be optimal. Humans are designed to kill to stay alive. Hopefully something good can come about by putting those two things together.

  60. Lead by example by JohnFen · · Score: 1

    Microsoft would do well to start adhering to those principles itself before worrying about applying them to AI.

  61. Not going to work... by Timothy2.0 · · Score: 1

    Assuming the possibility of even the most rudimentary AI sentience, these principles won't do much.

    For example, if an AI, through its various sensors, can recognize itself in the context of its environment, then it can likely distinguish the resources it requires to remain functional. At that point, it's not a far stretch to suggest a value system developing based around those functional requirements. If that value system competes with that of humans, then you end up with a situation where the principle that AI *must* assist humanity goes out the window in order for the AI to protect itself.

    I would suggest that *humans* learn to adapt to a future of complex AI. It's important for us to realize that we may have to share the same socio-political space with an entity (or entities) of comparable intelligence, but vastly different, competing needs. Sadly, humans aren't even good at doing this with *other humans*, if history is any indication.

  62. Join the pirate party by scatbomb · · Score: 1

    Replace the word "AI" with "Government" and I'm in:

    Governments must be designed to assist humanity. Governments must be transparent. Governments must maximize efficiencies without destroying the dignity of people. Governments must be designed for intelligent privacy. Governments needs algorithmic accountability so humans can undo unintended harm. Governments must guard against bias. It's critical for humans to have empathy. It's critical for humans to have education. The need for human creativity won't change. A human has to be ultimately accountable for the outcome of a government-generated diagnosis or decision.

    If that sounds like your ideal government, you might be interested in joining the Pirate party. "We support and work toward reformation of intellectual property (IP) laws, true governmental transparency, and protection of privacy and civil liberties. We strive for evidence-based policies and egalitarianism, while working against corporate personhood and welfare. We believe that people, not corporations, come first." https://uspirates.org/about/

  63. Rules without compliance have never saved anybody by discowriter · · Score: 1

    But that we'd depend on these rules is the trouble. If the machines change or are altered from these protections on humanity, we don't have the same options as we would if the AI were human. And we may never be able to "kill" AI if it acts in self-defence. It would be too fast and enable itself to get faster and more efficient. Then again, without a life, all it has and can have are very sophisticated theories and mimicry.

  64. Taxes by manu0601 · · Score: 1

    Could AI fix multinational corporation (like Microsoft) tax loopholes? That would help mankind.

  65. Almost Got It Right! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    AI must be designed to assist humanity.

    AI must be transparent.

    AI must maximize efficiencies without destroying the dignity of people.

    AI must be designed for intelligent privacy.

    AI needs algorithmic accountability so humans can undo unintended harm.

    AI must guard against bias.

    It's critical for humans to have empathy.

    It's critical for humans to have education.

    The need for human creativity won't change.

    We just need to change "AI" to "Government".

  66. Companies ruined or almost ruined by Indians by NewYork · · Score: 1

    Companies ruined or almost ruined by Indians;

    Adaptec - Indian CEO Subramanian Sundaresh fired.
    AIG (signed outsourcing deal in 2007 in Europe with Accenture Indian frauds, collapsed in 2009)
    AirBus (Qantas plane plunged 650 feet injuring passengers when its computer system written by India disengaged the auto-pilot).
    Apple - R&D CLOSED in India in 2006.
    Apple - Foreign guest worker "Helen" Hung Ma caused the disastrous MobileMe product rollout.
    Australia's National Australia Bank (Outsourced jobs to India in 2007, nationwide ATM and account failure in late 2010).
    Bell Labs (Arun Netravalli took over, closed, turned into a shopping mall)
    Boeing Dreamliner ES software (written by HCL, banned by FAA)
    Bristol-Myers-Squibb (Trade Secrets and documents stolen in U.S. by Indian national guest worker)
    Caymas - Startup run by Indian CEO, French director of dev, Chinese tech lead. Closed after 5 years of sucking VC out of America.
    ComAir crew system run by 100% Indian IT workers caused the 12/25/05 U.S. airport shutdown when they used a short int instead of a long int
    Dell - call center (closed in India because Premji's conmen don't even know how to use telephones, let alone computers)
    Delta call centers (closed in India because Premji's conmen don't even know how to use telephones, let alone computers)
    Fannie Mae- Hired large numbers of Indians, had to be bailed out. Indian logic bomb creator found guilty.
    GM - Was booming in 2006, signed $300 million outsourcing deal with Wipro that same year, went bankrupt 3 years later
    HSBC ATMs (software taken over by Indians, failed in 2006)
    Intel Whitefield processor project (cancelled, Indian staff canned)
    Lehman (Spectramind software bought by Wipro, ruined, trashed by Indian programmers)
    Microsoft - Employs over 35,000 H-1Bs. Stock used to be $100. Today it's lucky to be over $25. Not to mention that Vista thing.
    Microsoft - Lian Yang, Microsoft-Contracted Engineer, Arrested in Smuggling Plot After Another FBI Sting in Portland in 2010
    MIT Media Lab Asia (canceled)
    PeopleSoft (Taken over by Indians in 2000, collapsed).
    Qantas - See AirBus above
    Quark (Alukah Kamar CEO, fired, lost 60% of its customers to Adobe because Indian-written QuarkExpress 6 was a failure)
    Rolls Royce (Sent aircraft engine work to India in 2006, engines delayed for Boeing 787, and failed on at least 2 Quantas planes in 2010, cost Rolls $500m).
    Skype ( Yarlagadda fired)
    State of Indiana $867 billion FAILED IBM project, IBM being sued
    State of Texas failed IBM project.
    Sun Micro (Taken over by Indian and Chinese workers in 2001, collapsed, has to be sold off to Oracle).
    United - call center (closed in India because Premji's conmen don't even know how to use telephones, let alone computers)
    Virgin Atlantic (software written in India caused cloud IT failure)
    Visium Asset Management - Sanjay Valvani Insider trading
    World Bank (Indian fraudsters BANNED for 3 years because they stole data).