Microsoft, one of the world’s leading technology companies and AI innovators, has announced a set of principles that will guide its operations and practices in the new AI economy. The company’s president, Brad Smith, revealed the AI Access Principles at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona on February 26, 2024.
Why Microsoft is committing to AI Access Principles
According to Smith, the AI Access Principles are designed to foster innovation and competition in the AI sector, which is creating new opportunities and challenges for existing and emerging businesses. He said that Microsoft recognizes its role and responsibility as a market leader in AI, and wants to provide the broad technology access needed to empower organizations and individuals around the world to develop and use AI in ways that will serve the public good.
Smith also said that the AI Access Principles reflect the lessons learned from Microsoft’s previous experiences with technology developments, such as the Windows operating system, which was involved in controversies and litigation relating to its market position. He said that by publishing these principles, Microsoft is committing to avoid similar problems in the future.
What are the AI Access Principles
The AI Access Principles consist of 11 commitments that are divided into three sections: AI models and app developers, AI developer choices, and AI security and responsibility.
AI models and app developers
In this section, Microsoft pledges to:
- Expand its AI datacenter infrastructure to support the training and deployment of AI models at scale
- Make AI models and development tools broadly available to software applications developers around the world, regardless of their size, industry, or location
- Support AI developers with technical assistance, documentation, and best practices
AI developer choices
In this section, Microsoft promises to:
- Provide public APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) to enable developers to access and use AI models on Microsoft Azure, its cloud computing platform
- Offer a common public API for network operators to integrate AI models into their services
- Allow AI developers to choose how their AI models are sold, distributed, and used on Microsoft Azure, including the option to keep them private or share them with others
- Enable Microsoft Azure customers to easily export and transfer their data to another cloud provider, without any lock-in or penalty
- Not use non-public information or data from the building and deployment of developers’ AI models in Microsoft Azure to compete with those models
AI security and responsibility
In this section, Microsoft commits to:
- Protect AI models and data centers from physical and cyber threats, and comply with applicable laws and regulations
- Apply its Responsible AI Standard to ensure that its AI models and services are safe, fair, and private, and adhere to ethical principles
- Invest in AI skilling programs to help people around the world learn and use AI technologies
- Operate its AI data centers in an environmentally sustainable manner, and support the transition to a low-carbon economy
How Microsoft is putting the AI Access Principles into practice
Smith said that the AI Access Principles are not just words, but actions that Microsoft is taking to advance the AI economy. He cited several examples of how the company is implementing these principles across the world, such as:
- Investing $5.6 billion in new AI datacenter investments in Europe over the next two years, increasing its computing capacity by 250 percent
- Launching new AI skilling programs that will reach more than a million people in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East
- Establishing new public-private partnerships to promote responsible AI adoption and protect cybersecurity, such as the European AI Alliance and the Paris Call for Trust and Security in Cyberspace
- Offering new AI technology services to support network operators, such as Azure for Operators and Azure Edge Zones
- Partnering with France’s leading AI company, Mistral AI, to collaborate on AI research and innovation
Smith said that these initiatives are just the beginning, and that Microsoft will continue to expand its AI offerings and partnerships around the world, in line with its AI Access Principles.
