The head of Microsoft’s AI unit Mustafa Suleyman, who is visiting India for the first time, outlined his vision for a transformative future in artificial intelligence. Talking at “Building AI Companions for India” in Bengaluru, Suleyman underlined AI’s potential applications in the Indian market. For the AI chief, AI companions will transform digital experiences and come up with personalized support and interaction according to individual needs.
India is one of Microsoft’s fastest-growing markets, Suleyman said. He looked to the country’s pool of skilled engineers, developers, and researchers as an important hub for innovation in AI. “India is not just a market; it’s a powerhouse of talent,” he said. For this reason, he made much of multidisciplinary teams, including social scientists and creatives, in the designing of AI systems that really understand human behaviour.
Microsoft head defines AI as a companion
My personal vision for AI has always been about how it can be a companion that can make each and every one of us feel more supported and smarter and more capable,”
Suleyman shared his vision on AI companions speaking with S. Krishnan, Secretary, MeitY. These digital tools, he said, would not only assist the users but also be able to formulate meaningful relationships. “Imagine an AI that knows your preferences, learns from your habits and will support you in ways we’ve never seen before,” he explained.
Suleyman emphasized that AI has already begun changing workplaces, with examples of M365 Copilot. He proceeded to show features in Microsoft Copilot that utilize AI in order to help users in terms of summarizing and analyzing the data created. Suleyman noted that such tools are only the very tip of the iceberg; soon enough, it would be more difficult to avoid touching AI at work and even more so in the home.
This diversity allows us to synthesise more perspectives and get a broader picture of people involved in the design and creation process,”
Head of Microsoft’s AI unit Mustafa Suleyman has something big for Indian market
The fact that Microsoft appointed Suleyman earlier this year would suggest a corporate push on consumer AI initiatives. It also highlights the importance of India in such a strategy since India both develops and adopts cutting-edge AI technologies in a massive way.
At the close of his visit, Suleyman reiterated the commitment of Microsoft to innovation in India and promised that there would be more AI innovations tailored to the specificity of the Indian market.
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