Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella looks at AI as a game changer in India 

 

Microsoft Chairman & CEO, Satya Nadella today outlined three imperatives for AI and how India was well-placed to get the best out of it. "This is clearly the most exciting time for AI globally with a huge opportunity playing out in India," he said at the company's CEO Connection event in Mumbai. 

Announcing that Microsoft will be skilling two million Indians in AI, he spoke of moving well-paying jobs to rural India and creating a huge economic opportunity. "I really haven't seen anything quite like AI and it will only continue to scale up from here," he said.

He picked out two platform shifts on AI -- one was creating computers that understands us and the bigger thrust on digitisation. "We see digitisation having an impact on GDP and eventually on the long-term India story." 

There will be three imperatives, to his mind, that will be critical to determine business outcomes. The first is the adoption of Copilots.

"It reminds of the phase of personal computers and I think AI is quite similar. The PC brought information to our fingertips and AI is bringing expertise," was his view. Of course, AI goes a lot beyond especially when it comes to areas such as supply chain, sales and legal. "It is the greatest silo breaker of the time." 

The next piece is related to the Copilot stack. While the potential is significant, the challenges cannot be ignored.

"We need to compress the next 250 years of chemistry into the next 25 years," said Nadella. That's where the role of AI becomes critical. Recalling a recent conversation he had, he picked out a case where it was possible to reduce lithium content in a battery by 70%. "We are at a point where the fundamental frontiers of science are being changed."

The most important component of AI relates to trust and how security needs to be addressed. "Globally, we will see many models emerging and each country will need to choose their approach."

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