Microsoft Touted OpenAI's Independence Nine Days Before Hiring Top Talent

theodp writes: In a panel on AI at the Paris Peace Forum just 10 days ago, Microsoft President Brad Smith gave Meta Chief AI Scientist Yann LeCun a lecture on the importance of OpenAI's nonprofit independence. 'Meta is owned by shareholders,' Smith argued. 'OpenAI is owned by a nonprofit. Which would you have more confidence in? Getting your technology from a nonprofit? Or a for-profit company that is entirely controlled by one human being?' But on Sunday, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella pretty much trashed Smith's argument with his announcement that Microsoft was hiring OpenAI's co-founders and some of its top talent to head up a 'new advanced AI research team.' Another case of Embrace, Extend, and Extinguish?

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