In an exclusive interview, Brad Smith, Vice Chair and President of Microsoft, engaged in a thought-provoking conversation with Kalli Purie, Vice Chairperson and Executive Editor In Chief of India Today Group, and Rahul Kanwal, News Director of Aajtak & India Today; Executive Director of Business Today. The interview delved into the evolving landscape of artificial intelligence (AI) and its transformative impact on the world.
Smith shared unparalleled insights into the challenges posed by misinformation and disinformation during election campaigns, particularly caused by generative artificial intelligence. The interview highlighted three key measures to address this global concern.
Transparency through Labelling
Smith stressed the need for collaboration across various entities to label AI-generated content. He stated, "First, we need to band together and persuade every company, every candidate, every government, every nonprofit that uses AI to create an image, an audio, or a video to label it."
He underlined the importance of committing to the use of available technology for watermarking, saying, "The technology has been developed, the standards are there, the watermarking is available. Now we have to commit to use it."
Coordinated Industry Response to Deep Fakes
Discussing the challenge of deep fakes, Smith advocated for coordinated industry efforts. He explained, "The second thing we need to do is bring our industry together, including in coordinated ways so that if there are deep fakes that are created that fake or alter what a candidate is saying or doing, we know what we're going to do when that happens."
Smith outlined the need for detection, information sharing, and prompt action, stating, "We need to detect it, share that information, and have the major platforms, including our own like LinkedIn, decide that we will take prompt action."
Public Education for Informed Citizenship
Smith stressed the importance of public education to create a well-informed and savvy audience. He highlighted the need to prepare the public for encountering false information, stating, "The third is we need to work together to help educate the public so that we have a well-informed, savvy public that is prepared for the possibility that it may see things that are not true."
He referenced the recent election in Taiwan, saying, "Our sense from our team there is that the public was well-prepared, and so even when there were deep fakes, they didn't succeed."
The interview also explored broader topics such as AI's impact on elections, ethical considerations, and Microsoft's commitment to responsible AI development. Smith addressed concerns about AI's impact on jobs, stating, "I've never been a believer that you could get technology development to slow down. I've been a believer that you need responsibility, including through new laws, to speed up."
As the conversation extended to global AI trends, Smith highlighted Microsoft's focus on copilots, AI-driven tools for productivity, security, and business applications. He expressed excitement about the practical applications of generative AI, stating, "2024, I think we're just going to have many more people using generative AI."