Microsoft AI Chief Vows to Halt Development if Technology Poses Existential Risk

Microsoft's AI leader Mustafa Suleyman has pledged to cease development of any artificial intelligence system that could potentially escape human control. In an interview with Bloomberg's The Mishal Husain Show, Suleyman emphasized Microsoft's commitment to developing superintelligence aligned with human interests rather than pursuing unchecked technological advancement.

The executive dismissed suggestions this stance was controversial, calling it an obvious position despite acknowledging its rarity in the AI industry. Suleyman joined Microsoft last year following the company's acquisition of Inflection AI, where he previously served as CEO after departing OpenAI.

Microsoft recently regained full freedom to develop advanced AI systems after renegotiating its partnership with OpenAI. Previous contractual restrictions had prevented the tech giant from working on artificial general intelligence (AGI) or superintelligence projects. The revised agreement exchanged these limitations for access to OpenAI's latest models and involved Microsoft's continued infrastructure support through data center development.