“Here’s a question that’s not getting the attention it deserves: what kind of AI does the world really want? I think it’s probably the most important question of our time.”
That is how Mustafa Suleyman, CEO of Microsoft AI, begins a comprehensive blog post titled “Towards Humanist Superintelligence.” In the blog, Suleyman details the formation of the MAI Superintelligence Team and its mission to deliver AI “in a way that is carefully calibrated, contextualized, within limits.”
Human-First Approach
Suleyman, a prominent figure in the AI field, has a well-publicized mission to ensure that advancements in AI — particularly as we approach Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) — always benefit humanity, advocating for the inclusion of built-in limitations to prevent the technology from going rogue.
At Microsoft AI, the goal is to develop Humanist Superintelligence (HSI), which Suleyman defines as “incredibly advanced AI capabilities that always work for, in service of, people and humanity more generally.”
Microsoft AI’s new MAI Superintelligence Team, led by Suleyman, is dedicated to becoming the leading AI research and development group, committed to delivering HSI.
Suleyman is clear about the team’s mission to address real-world challenges with governed AI designed from the ground up to serve rather than lead. By pursuing this mission, the team intentionally diverges from the goals of AGI. “We reject narratives about a race to AGI and instead see it as part of a wider and deeply human endeavour to improve our lives and future prospects,” he says.
“Humanist superintelligence (HSI) offers an alternative vision anchored on both a non-negotiable human-centrism and a commitment to accelerating technological innovation … but in that order.”
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No Stopping Innovation
Although Suleyman is arguably taking a different approach to AI innovation, he has no desire to stifle it. Instead, Microsoft AI is committed to pushing the boundaries of what is considered possible.
“We should celebrate and accelerate technology because it’s been the greatest engine of human progress in history. That’s why we need much, much more of it,” says Suleyman. However, he is also unwavering in his commitment to delivering these advancements within boundaries.
“Creating superintelligence is one thing; but creating provable, robust containment and alignment alongside it is the urgent challenge facing humanity in the 21st century,” he says. “And until we have that answer, we need to understand all the avenues facing us — both towards and away from superintelligence, or perhaps to an altogether alternative form of it.”
The goal of the MAI Superintelligence Team is to determine how we can cohesively innovate the appropriate kind of superintelligence within established limitations and guardrails.
Final Thoughts
Great thinkers and doers like Suleyman play a critical role in the AI Revolution. Not only does he hold one of the most pivotal positions in the industry, but his commitment to safe AI innovation has a profound impact beyond Microsoft’s own research and development. The AI Revolution is not just about innovation; it’s about doing things better than we ever have before.
Perhaps for this reason, and undoubtedly many more, Suleyman approaches his thinking and guidance on AI innovation from a profound cultural perspective:
“The history of humanism has been its enduring ability to fight off orthodoxy, totalitarian tendencies, pessimism, and help us preserve human dignity, freedom to reason in pursuit of moral human progress,” he says. “In that spirit, we think this approach will help humanity unlock almost all the benefits of AI, while avoiding the most extreme risks.”
This is critical because AI is, and will continue to, impact every aspect of life, ensuring that its governance will undoubtedly be defined as a societal, rather than solely a technical, concern. And what is Microsoft’s take? Ultimately, it comes down to this, a final thought from Suleyman:
“At Microsoft AI, we believe humans matter more than AI. We want to build AI that deeply reflects our wider mission to empower every person on the planet.”
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