Microsoft Engineers Fight Back: How the Tech Giant is Winning the AI Race
By [Your Name], Senior Journalist
As the world grapples with thetransformative power of AI, Microsoft stands out as a leader in harnessing the technology for practical applications. While many companies are still trying to understand the implications of largelanguage models (LLMs), Microsoft has already integrated GPT models into its products, from Github Copilot to Office and PC software. This strategic move has allowed Microsoftto capitalize on the advancements in AI while focusing on developing user-friendly applications.
The company’s success is evident in its financial performance. GitHub, for example, has seen its annual revenue reach $2 billion, with Copilot contributingover 40% of that growth. This surpasses the initial investment Microsoft made when acquiring GitHub, demonstrating the power of AI integration.
Everyone sees just the tip of the iceberg, says Wei Qing, Chief Technology Officer of Microsoft China. Behind it is the accumulation of decades of effort.
Microsoft’s partnership with OpenAI, dating back to 2016, has been instrumental in this journey. The company has progressively integrated OpenAI’s models into its platforms, culminating in the inclusion of GPT, DALL-E, andCodex into Microsoft’s Models as Platforms service.
But the partnership is just one facet of Microsoft’s AI strategy. The company is also actively researching and developing its own AI solutions, focusing on a more practical and innovative approach.
We’re no longer just discussing large models, computing power,and storage, says Wei Qing. We’ve moved beyond that stage.
He emphasizes that the biggest challenge lies in human adaptation. Microsoft engineers, for instance, have had to evolve their understanding of AI as they delve deeper into its applications.
Initially, Microsoft Fabric engineers focused on AI for Data, essentiallyintegrating AI into existing data processing systems. While successful, they realized the limitations of this approach when developing the second version of their product. The new focus shifted to Data for AI, a paradigm shift that emphasizes the need to re-engineer processes around AI tools.
Microsoft, however, is not blindly embracing the hypesurrounding large models. Mark Russinovich, Chief Technology Officer of Microsoft Azure, describes LLMs as junior employees – capable, knowledgeable, and with a strong memory, but still immature. He emphasizes the need to train these models with your data to understand individual preferences and boundaries.
This is why Microsoftis developing smaller, personalized models that are trained on user data. These small models are essentially customized versions of larger models, tailored to individual needs.
Microsoft also recognizes the need for flexibility in AI applications. The company believes that AI should be accessible to everyone, regardless of location or resource constraints. This is whythey are developing Phi, a local solution that functions even without internet access. Phi-3, an edge model, acts as a bridge between base models and toolchains, ensuring seamless integration.
Wei Qing emphasizes that size isn’t everything when it comes to AI models. Models aren’t necessarily better justbecause they’re larger, he says. Large models have more artificial neurons, allowing them to store more knowledge, but this can lead to the ‘curse of knowledge.’
He believes that people need models that understand their preferences and provide personalized recommendations, not just encyclopedic knowledge. These models should be able totell us what to do next week, providing actionable insights. For specific topics, users can then leverage the power of large models for information retrieval.
This vision of personalized AI is reflected in Microsoft Azure’s architecture, which aims to integrate all models into a single, comprehensive system. This system will allow users toseamlessly access different models, each specializing in specific areas, ensuring the most relevant and personalized experience.
Microsoft’s approach to AI is a testament to the company’s commitment to innovation and its understanding of the evolving needs of users. By focusing on practical applications, personalized experiences, and accessible solutions, Microsoft is not justriding the wave of AI, but shaping the future of the technology.
【source】https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/67j8PWiHrAt1cUdQMXtJcA
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