Satya Nadella Calls for Rebranding Artificial Intelligence as ‘Different Intelligence’
News Mania Desk/ Agnibeena Ghosh/9th June 2024
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become the latest buzzword in the tech industry, with major companies like Google, Meta, and Microsoft heavily promoting their advancements in this field. These tech giants have introduced their own large language models (LLMs) and integrated generative AI into their existing products. Amidst this AI hype, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella suggests that the term “Artificial Intelligence” is misleading and does not accurately describe the capabilities of LLMs. Instead, Nadella proposes calling it “different intelligence.”
In a recent interview with Bloomberg Television, Nadella shared his views on the evolving landscape of AI. He emphasized that AI should be viewed as a tool rather than being compared to human intelligence. “I don’t like anthropomorphizing AI,” Nadella stated, criticizing the tendency to attribute human traits to AI systems. “It has got intelligence, if you want to give it that moniker, but it’s not the same intelligence that I have.”
Nadella’s comments came shortly after Microsoft’s partner, OpenAI, introduced a new personal assistant capable of expressing a range of emotions and mimicking various voices. This assistant’s human-like qualities have sparked debates about the boundaries of AI and its resemblance to human behavior. During its Spring Update event, OpenAI showcased its new GPT-4o, featuring an AI voice assistant that not only understands but also expresses emotions, drawing comparisons to the film “Her.” The assistant’s voice resemblance to Scarlett Johansson, who starred in the movie, led to legal concerns from the actress, complicating matters for OpenAI and its CEO, Sam Altman.
With the proliferation of these “smart” features, comparisons between AI and human intelligence have become more frequent. Notably, Tesla and X CEO Elon Musk predicted that Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) could surpass human intelligence as early as next year or by 2026. “AI will probably be smarter than any single human next year. By 2029, AI will probably be smarter than all humans combined,” Musk wrote in a response to a podcast hosted by Joe Rogan.
The terminology used by companies to describe AI, such as “learning” or “understanding,” further blurs the line between AI and human cognition. However, Nadella urges caution in drawing these comparisons. “It has got intelligence, if you want to give it that moniker, but it’s not the same intelligence that I have,” he reiterated in the interview.
Nadella believes that the term “artificial intelligence,” coined in the 1950s, is a misnomer. “I think one of the most unfortunate names is ‘artificial intelligence’—I wish we had called it ‘different intelligence,'” he told Bloomberg. “Because I have my intelligence. I don’t need any artificial intelligence.”
This perspective from Nadella highlights the need for a more accurate terminology to describe the capabilities and limitations of AI. As AI continues to evolve and integrate into various aspects of life, recognizing it as a distinct form of intelligence rather than a substitute for human cognition can help set realistic expectations and guide responsible development.
