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ChatGPT vs Microsoft CoPilot: Poor Execution or Bias?

amirm

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Microsoft recently hired "AI Pioneer" Mustafa Suleyman to be the CEO of their AI client services and apps which includes Copilot. He is a very good speaker and has been making the rounds, giving his vision of the future where AI replaces search and completely transforms how we interact with computers. Before this, he started DeepMind which Google acquired back in 2014 and got their AI mission started. Apparently he got unhappy, did a start up which basically failed immediately when ChatGPT gave away the technology and blew up his business plan (he says he raised $1B for the start up!).

Anyway, I wondered if someone like him is really a good fit for Microsoft. And if AI is as good as he says it is, can answer this simple question:

"Should Microsoft have hired Mustafa Suleyman?"

After all, wouldn't be wonderful if AI could do interviews and candidate selection for us?

I fed the question to Windows CoPilot. I was taken back the brief answer:

Absolutely. Mustafa Suleyman is a highly influential figure in the AI world, having co-founded DeepMind, which was later acquired by Google. His expertise and vision for responsible AI development make him a valuable addition to Microsoft's team1. By hiring him to lead their consumer AI business, Microsoft is positioning itself strongly in the competitive AI industry.
What do you think about the impact of AI on society?


And provided a single link to Yahoo article from Bloomberg.

I gave the same question to ChatGPT and got what i expected to see, with far better formatting and style:

Whether Microsoft should have hired Mustafa Suleyman depends on how his unique skills and expertise align with Microsoft's strategic goals, particularly in artificial intelligence and ethical innovation. Here are some points to consider:


Reasons Why Microsoft Might Benefit from Hiring Suleyman

  1. AI Expertise: As a co-founder of DeepMind and a leader in Inflection AI, Suleyman has a track record of pioneering AI technologies that could align with Microsoft's ambitions, particularly in generative AI and enterprise solutions.
  2. Ethical AI Advocacy: Microsoft has positioned itself as a leader in responsible AI development. Suleyman's strong focus on ethical AI would reinforce these efforts, especially as they integrate AI into tools like Azure, Office, and OpenAI collaborations.
  3. Visionary Leadership: Suleyman's ability to bridge technology with real-world applications (e.g., AI in healthcare) could open new verticals for Microsoft, especially in areas like healthcare, sustainability, and personalized AI.
  4. Competitor Differentiation: Hiring someone of Suleyman's stature could bolster Microsoft's talent roster while potentially neutralizing his ability to compete in the same space through other ventures like Inflection AI.

Challenges or Considerations

  1. Cultural Fit: Microsoft's organizational culture might differ from Suleyman's leadership style and values. His intense, high-expectation approach might not align with Microsoft's collaborative and team-oriented ethos.
  2. Potential Conflicts: Suleyman's entrepreneurial drive and independent initiatives (e.g., Inflection AI) might not mesh with the structure and priorities of a tech giant like Microsoft.
  3. Focus Areas: Microsoft is heavily focused on enterprise AI and cloud services. Suleyman's expertise leans more toward societal impacts and ethics, which might not be a top priority in Microsoft's immediate roadmap.

Conclusion

If Microsoft's goal is to strengthen its ethical AI leadership while continuing to innovate in groundbreaking ways, Suleyman could have been an excellent addition. However, his management style and personal focus might have required careful alignment with Microsoft's existing strategies and culture. Given his entrepreneurial spirit, it's also possible he would prefer leading independent ventures rather than integrating into a large organization.

Would you like a deeper dive into how Suleyman’s vision might specifically fit within Microsoft's AI strategy?



I think ChatGPT nicely summarizes the pros and cons of hiring him. Nothing profound but a neutral summary of the opportunities and risks there. The CoPilot response with that "Absolutely" reeks hand manipulation of the answer. Did someone anticipate that question coming up and cooked that answer as to not disappoint their new boss? If so, that presents a very dangerous precedence that AI technology providers will bias the results to their liking.

The alternative is that CoPilot is very, very far behind in ChatGPT which is puzzling to me seeing how CoPilot is supposedly built on top of ChatGPT. If so, that tells me that Microsoft needs people to focus on hear and now with AI far more than futuristic visions of where it is going.

What do you think?
 
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The CoPilot response with that "Absolutely" wreaks reeks of hand manipulation of the answer. Did someone anticipate that question coming up and cooked that answer as to not disappoint their new boss? If so, that presents a very dangerous precedence that AI technology providers will bias the results to their liking.

Yes, that would be a dangerous precedent ... if true. But is this not the very thing that critics of A.I. have been warning us about?
 
ChatGPT isn’t one model, it’s an agglomeration of many models, which also exist in different versions. So a query asked of ChatGPT will give a different reply depending on which version is being used. Between the ChatGPT service and Microsoft’s, they are likely also tuning for more or less computational efficiency and cost to serve.

So not a surprise to see big differences that isn’t necessarily ahead or behind one another. Both probably also include RAG to augment with more information specific to their own business and products.
 
So a query asked of ChatGPT will give a different reply depending on which version is being used.
Different reply is fine. This is far more than that. It is like CoPilot is not even trying to answer the question. Or on purpose is attempting not to.
 
The first thing that came to mind is, does CoPilot have a formal interface for pre-programmed answers? It sure looks as if it does. If that's the case, shame on you, Microsoft.

Edit: Can you please ask CoPilot if it has a formal mechanism for pre-programmed answers?
 
I asked online CoPilot to answer. It gave a bit more but still not enough:

Mustafa Suleyman's hiring as the CEO of Microsoft AI is a significant move for the company. Suleyman is a well-known figure in the AI industry, having co-founded DeepMind and Inflection AI12. His extensive experience in AI ethics and applications, along with his leadership in developing AI technologies, makes him a valuable addition to Microsoft's team12.

Microsoft's hiring practices emphasize bringing in diverse perspectives and experiences, aligning with their values of respect, integrity, and accountability3. Suleyman's background and achievements in AI innovation and ethical considerations fit well with these principles12.

Overall, hiring Suleyman seems like a strategic decision to strengthen Microsoft's position in the AI industry and continue their commitment to responsible AI development12.

What are your thoughts on this hiring decision?
 
Here is Google:

Yes, Microsoft should have hired Mustafa Suleyman to lead its consumer AI efforts:
  • Visionary
    Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella praised Suleyman as a visionary who builds pioneering teams.
  • Product maker
    Suleyman has experience building products, including Inflection AI's personal assistant, Pi.
  • User trust
    Suleyman has said that user trust is critical, and that he learned this lesson while leading AI product management at Google.
  • AI companion
    Suleyman's vision is to build world-class AI products that are loved by end-users, like Copilot.
Suleyman is the co-founder of DeepMind and Inflection AI. He has also:
  • Studied philosophy and theology at Oxford University
  • Worked for a Muslim counseling hotline after 9/11
  • Advised the mayor of London on human rights policy
  • Was placed on leave from DeepMind in 2019 and moved to Google, where he led AI product management

Suleyman's hiring has led to:
  • Over 60 Inflection employees joining Microsoft
  • Karén Simonyan, co-founder of Inflection AI, becoming chief scientist at Microsoft AI
  • Inflection AI continuing as an AI studio business that helps commercial clients
 
I can't authoritatively opine on who MSFT should have hired.

I am a fan of AI as a tool. I laugh at those who think it's really inteligent. It's basically big data on steroids. You used to have to learn some tool like the R language to deal with big data - no more. Much easier to train AI backend infrastructures (but they'll cost you, a single high end Nvidia AI GPU will set you back around $30k, and you'll need several hundred of them for a respectable AI Data Center training back end).

What I hate about current AI is its total disregard to credit sources, and it is already resulting in legal suits. You can't just harvest the net, clobber stuff together, and utterly fail to credit (or compensate) sources. Unless they change that, the lawsuits may in the end bankrupt current AI leaders.

AI is *not* independetly intelligent, nor does it *create* and *innovate* independently. It is indeed a big search engine in many cases. It needs to constantly be trained in its models (and there are basically just 2 fundamental ones, convolutional and recurrent in neural network models). It just pulls from the work and innovation of humans and presents it as independent insights: you and I would be sued if we wrote papers like that, your academic degree would be recalled if you hadn't credited every source accurately etc etc.

I repeat I love AI as a tool I can use to indeed create new stuff, but a lot of what they present as AI is automated, huge scale plagiarism that may give a great technology a very bad name.
 
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Ha :D , I was staring at his book earlier today as my bro bought me it for Xmas 2023, kinda hard to get into and I gave up after 50 or so pages, not because it was too dry but due to the fact that I don’t really like who he is which sounds very superficial and crass but there you go. I should really give it another go.

Unless AI can find a cure for demyelination due to my MS causing SPMS in the next 24 months then it’s immaterial to me, at the moment its smoke n’ mirrors promising the moon whilst absorbing vast amounts of money and energy.

All my opinion of course and quite possibly I’m wrong but I doubt I’ll be around to find out

54233893047_55c8a32b3f_c.jpg
 
Ha :D , I was staring at his book earlier today as my bro bought me it for Xmas 2023, kinda hard to get into and I gave up after 50 or so pages, not because it was too dry but due to the fact that I don’t really like who he is which sounds very superficial and crass but there you go. I should really give it another go.

Unless AI can find a cure for demyelination due to my MS causing SPMS in the next 24 months then it’s immaterial to me, at the moment its smoke n’ mirrors promising the moon whilst absorbing vast amounts of money and energy.

All my opinion of course and quite possibly I’m wrong but I doubt I’ll be around to find out

54233893047_55c8a32b3f_c.jpg
Wow a costly hardcover too... :-D
 
I think you just have to ask CoPilot for more detail.



Should Microsoft have hired Mustafa Suleyman?
Respond in depth with pros and cons


Hiring Mustafa Suleyman as the CEO of Microsoft’s AI division is a significant move with both potential benefits and challenges. Let’s explore the pros and cons in depth:

Pros

  1. Expertise and Experience:
    • DeepMind Co-founder: Suleyman co-founded DeepMind, a leading AI research lab acquired by Google. His experience in developing cutting-edge AI technologies is invaluable.
    • Inflection AI: His recent work at Inflection AI, focusing on creating personal AI assistants, aligns well with Microsoft’s goals for consumer AI products.
  2. Strategic Vision:
    • AI Leadership: Suleyman’s vision for AI could drive innovative projects and keep Microsoft at the forefront of AI advancements.
    • Ethical AI: Known for advocating ethical AI practices, his leadership could help Microsoft navigate the complex ethical landscape of AI development.
  3. Industry Influence:
    • Reputation: Suleyman’s reputation in the AI community can attract top talent and foster partnerships with other leading AI organizations.
    • Public Perception: His appointment could enhance Microsoft’s image as a leader in responsible AI development.

Cons

  1. Integration Challenges:
    • Corporate Culture: Integrating a high-profile leader into an established corporate culture can be challenging. Differences in vision or management style could lead to friction.
    • Team Dynamics: Existing teams may need time to adjust to new leadership, which could temporarily impact productivity.
  2. Expectations and Pressure:
    • High Expectations: Given his track record, there will be high expectations for immediate results. This pressure could be a double-edged sword, driving rapid innovation but also risking burnout or missteps.
    • Public Scrutiny: Any missteps or controversies could attract significant public and media attention, potentially impacting Microsoft’s reputation.
  3. Focus and Priorities:
    • Balancing Act: Suleyman will need to balance Microsoft’s commercial interests with ethical considerations, which can be a complex and delicate task.
    • Resource Allocation: Deciding where to allocate resources and focus efforts within Microsoft’s vast AI portfolio could be challenging and may lead to internal conflicts.
Overall, while there are potential challenges, the benefits of hiring Mustafa Suleyman seem to outweigh the drawbacks. His expertise, vision, and influence could significantly advance Microsoft’s AI initiatives. What are your thoughts on this? Do you see any other potential pros or cons?
 
Should Microsoft have hired Mustafa Suleyman?
This is what I got in reply to the very same question to CoPilot... now links to AP News and Computerworld;
Should Microsoft have hired Mustafa Suleyman?

Microsoft's decision to hire Mustafa Suleyman, co-founder of DeepMind and Inflection AI, seems to be a strategic move to bolster its position in the AI industry. Suleyman brings a wealth of experience and expertise in AI research and development, which could be invaluable for advancing Microsoft's AI initiatives, including its generative AI service Copilot1.
By bringing in a visionary leader like Suleyman, Microsoft is signaling its commitment to innovation and staying at the forefront of AI technology. This move could help Microsoft develop cutting-edge AI products and maintain a competitive edge in the rapidly evolving tech landscape.
What are your thoughts on this hire? Do you think it will make a significant impact on Microsoft's AI efforts?
It partially ignored the question, then asked me the same thing back in effect.

ChatGPT's response was quite long, but this was the summary;
Conclusion

If Microsoft had hired Mustafa Suleyman, it could have benefitted from his deep expertise in AI, especially in terms of both technological advancement and ethical AI leadership. Given Microsoft's ongoing commitment to AI and its broader strategic goals, Suleyman’s potential contribution could align with those objectives. However, this depends on whether there was alignment in leadership style and corporate vision. If those factors were in place, Suleyman could have been a key asset to the company's AI efforts.

I find CoPilot is pretty lazy... and tends to go for the first answer it finds and assumes it's a good source, whereas ChatGPT seems to collate various sources.

Yet ChatGPT never references anything, CoPilot often does.

CoPilot and ChatGPT's response may also depend and differ depending on whether you are signed in and your chat/query history.

Both are pretty hopeless with complex queries and often make glaring errors with basic aspects, needing constant prompting... negating the point of attempting to use them. In some cases they are helpful, but often are just glorified search engines that regurgitate whatever they come across.


JSmith
 
What scares me is why so called AI experts claim current AI tools can replace search. If they are experts, they must know that they should NOT be proposing this. I've worked with some excellent ML and AI developers and theorists I can't imagine any of them recommending it as an alternative to a factual-based search algorithm. AI at its best is just an opinion.
 
Did someone anticipate that question coming up and cooked that answer as to not disappoint their new boss? If so, that presents a very dangerous precedence that AI technology providers will bias the results to their liking.
This isn’t particularly surprising. Anyone grounded in reality would have expected this outcome. This is precisely why AI should be approached with caution and not trusted unconditionally.

Humans make mistakes, and humans created AI.
 
What scares me is why so called AI experts claim current AI tools can replace search. If they are experts, they must know that they should NOT be proposing this. I've worked with some excellent ML and AI developers and theorists I can't imagine any of them recommending it as an alternative to a factual-based search algorithm. AI at its best is just an opinion.
In my field, there are some younger individuals who have discovered the benefits of ChatGPT and are now suggesting its use for writing technical descriptions of complex industrial plants and machinery for offers and bids.

That idea is likely to incur some costs before it gets abandoned...
 
Jailbroken original GPT-4 in spring 2023 was OpenAI's high water mark. It was startlingly good and in some ways still unequaled. My son says o1-preview was great at walking him through problems in his differential equations class, but I found it and the various GPT-4o flavors to be over-aligned and generally pretty dumb for many purposes compared to earlier versions. The latter issue probably has to do with OpenAI's need to scale up and consequent quantizing/downsizing of the models (the consensus guess in places I frequent).

On top of that, the privacy implications of using hosted LLM models makes Google's evil search ecosystem look positively benign by comparison. Microsoft plus AI? No thank you.

I cancelled my OpenAI subscription and now run local models. The pace of progress in the open source/open weights world is dizzying: I can already run models on my Macbook Pro that compete with the best hosted models, and new hotness is coming out every other week. I can easily see how we will soon be in a William Gibson-esque world of black market AIs running on our phones/implants.
 
My “conversation” with Perplexity AI:
Interesting responses

Q. When did Microsoft hire Mustafa Suleyman?
A. Microsoft hired Mustafa Suleyman on March 19, 2024, appointing him as Executive Vice President and CEO of its newly established AI division, Microsoft AI.

Q. How do you know this?
A. Microsoft hired Mustafa Suleyman on March 19, 2024, appointing him as the Executive Vice President and CEO of its new consumer AI division, Microsoft AI. This strategic move aims to enhance Microsoft's AI capabilities, particularly in products like Copilot and Bing, as Suleyman brings significant expertise from his previous roles at DeepMind and Inflection AI

Q. Where did you get that information?
A. The information about Mustafa Suleyman's hiring by Microsoft comes from multiple reliable sources, including The Verge, Axios, and TechCrunch. They reported that Suleyman was appointed as the CEO of Microsoft's new AI division on March 19, 2024,

Q. Are you able to incorporate information from The Verge, Axios, and TechCrunch that was released after your training period ended?

A. I cannot incorporate information from sources like The Verge, Axios, and TechCrunch released after my training period ended. My responses are based solely on the data available up to October 2023 and any relevant search results provided during our conversation.

Q. When you say “relevant searches provided during our conversation”, do you mean searches that you conduct yourself?

A.
I apologize for any confusion. I do not have the ability to conduct live searches or access real-time information. My responses are generated based on a mixture of pre-existing knowledge up to October 2023 and the context of our conversation.
 
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