Suleyman claims AI systems are nearing human-level capability across tasks like research, drafting and analysis.
He says sectors such as law, finance and consulting could see role changes sooner than expected.
While AI may boost productivity and cut costs, he acknowledges it could disrupt jobs even as new AI-focused roles emerge.
Microsoft AI chief Mustafa Suleyman has again made headlines for his statements on AI. Amid rapid advances in AI and automation, Suleyman stated in an interview with the Financial Times that AI will replace a large portion of white-collar jobs within the next year and a half. This comes after many companies, including Google, Meta, and other tech behemoths, confirmed that they are automating a few tasks within their organisations.
SurveyIn recent interviews, Suleyman suggested that systems approaching human-level capability across many knowledge tasks are no longer a distant possibility. As per him, AI models are improving at a pace that could allow them to handle research, analysis, drafting, summarisation and other desk-based functions far more efficiently than before. He hinted that this transition may begin changing the professional roles in many sectors, including law, finance, consulting and administration, sooner than many expect.
Suleyman stated that progress in computing power and model training has accelerated dramatically over the past decade. He stated that the AI training scale has increased exponentially, enabling systems to perform complex cognitive tasks that were previously limited to skilled professionals. As these tools become more reliable and autonomous, businesses are likely to integrate them deeply into workflows.
He stated that this development will act as an opportunity to boost productivity and lower costs, but also acknowledged that it will affect many employees. The automation of routine cognitive tasks could reduce the need for certain roles, even as it creates demand for new skills related to AI oversight, deployment and safety.
The statements come amid the intensifying investment in AI infrastructure and growing debate over how quickly artificial general intelligence, or highly capable AI systems, may arrive.
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Ashish Singh
Ashish Singh is the Chief Copy Editor at Digit. He's been wrangling tech jargon since 2020 (Times Internet, Jagran English '22). When not policing commas, he's likely fueling his gadget habit with coffee, strategising his next virtual race, or plotting a road trip to test the latest in-car tech. He speaks fluent Geek. View Full Profile
