Microsoft CEO urges AI developers to deliver useful results or risk losing public support

At Davos, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said AI must show measurable benefits for health, education and productivity or it may lose public support, and he linked that requirement to AI's rising energy use.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella told a Davos audience that artificial intelligence must start delivering measurable benefits to people's lives. He said developers need to focus on outcomes in areas such as health, education and productivity. Nadella warned that without clear societal gains, AI could lose public acceptance. He also linked the issue to the large energy demands of training and running major models and the related infrastructure. Key points: - Satya Nadella spoke at Davos and urged AI developers to use the technology to change outcomes for people, communities, industries and countries. - He said AI risks losing ‘‘social permission’’ to use scarce resources like energy if it does not improve health, education, public sector efficiency and private sector competitiveness. - The article notes Microsoft's prominent role in the current AI boom, including large investments in OpenAI and integration of Copilot features into its productivity tools. - The piece highlights the scale of AI energy use, saying training large models consumes electricity comparable to some small countries and that inference adds ongoing energy costs. Summary: Nadella framed the debate as both ethical and infrastructural, saying public tolerance depends on demonstrable benefits and sustainable resource use. His comments reflect Microsoft's prominent position in AI development. Undetermined at this time.