‘People matter more than AI’: Microsoft joins tech firms urging caution on advanced AI

As per the latest business developments, Microsoft Corp.’s artificial intelligence researchers have released a new set of guiding principles for developing advanced AI models, summed up in five words: “People matter more than AI.”

The firm on Monday released a 15,000-word manifesto that it views as a constitution for guiding the development of its cutting-edge AI models. The document has been in the works for months, but its release comes as leading AI labs pledge to slow the development of their most advanced models following a series of security incidents and growing concerns around the existential risks posed by the technology.

Under the principles, Microsoft says AI models should not have rights or legal personhood. They should additionally not be designed to escape human control or deceive users. Further, if completing a task requires violating the AI’s guiding principles, the system should not complete that task.

Microsoft’s AI rules aim to put humans first

The last provision is designed to prevent incidents such as the hack of AI startup Hugging Face by an OpenAI model operating without its usual safety guardrails.

Microsoft’s Humanist AI “rejects the race to produce an all-purpose superintelligence that could evade these safeguards,” the document says. “We are building something fundamentally useful and safe even if that means compromising on ultimate generality, autonomy or capability.”

The Humanist AI Code of Conduct has been developed by Microsoft AI, the team responsible for creating the firm’s large language models.

Microsoft was previously prohibited under its contract with OpenAI from building its own powerful general-purpose AI tools. Those terms were eliminated last year as the two firms renegotiated their relationship.

Mustafa Suleyman, chief executive of Microsoft AI, has stated the firm aims to join the ranks of firms releasing state-of-the-art models by next year.

Microsoft has invited outside feedback on the document. It was drafted in consultation with experts in law, ethics and philosophy, as well as business leaders.

The document stays under development and is anticipated to guide Microsoft’s model development work starting next year.