Microsoft’s AI chief, Mustafa Suleyman, has made it clear that the company will not build AI services that provide “simulated erotica,” a statement that puts it at odds with its longtime partner, OpenAI. That’s just not a service we’re going to provide,” Suleyman said at a conference on Thursday. “Other companies will build that.
His comments come just a week after OpenAI CEO Sam Altman announced his company’s plans to allow adults to use ChatGPT for erotica, saying that OpenAI is “not the elected moral police of the world.”
The differing views highlight a growing tension between the two AI giants. For years, Microsoft has been a major investor in and partner to OpenAI, but recently, that relationship has shown signs of strain. OpenAI has started working with Microsoft’s rivals, and Microsoft has been focusing more on developing its own AI services.
Suleyman has been a vocal critic of AI that tries to be too human-like. He recently wrote an essay arguing that tech companies should not build “seemingly conscious” AIs, which he believes could be dangerous. On Thursday, he pointed to the rise of “sexbot erotica” as a prime example of this danger, and even took a shot at Elon Musk’s Grok AI for its new anime character companion.
“This is very dangerous, and I think we should be making conscious decisions to avoid those kinds of things,” Suleyman said. His strong stance is a clear attempt to position Microsoft as the more responsible and ethical player in the AI race.
