- AI chief Mustafa Suleyman writes about X after the recent backlash against AI
- The CEO said there are “a lot of cynics” who think AI is “disappointing”.
- He added that “the fact that people are not impressed that we can have a fluent conversation with a super-intelligent AI … is mind-boggling to me.”
Microsoft has been heavily criticized lately for its increasing use of artificial intelligence. Revelations about the direction Windows 11 will takeand the answer to that question is to fight fire with fire, at least for the company’s Chief AI Officer.
Windows Central checked that Mustafa Suleyman went to X and said he was not impressed by the AI haters.
Regarding recent negative comments about the AI advancements planned for Windows 11, including AI agents in the operating system, Suleyman said. he complained: “My God, there are so many cynics out there! It drives me crazy when I hear people say that AI is disappointing. I grew up playing Snake on a Nokia phone! The fact that people are not impressed that we can have a fluid conversation with a super intelligent AI that can generate any image/video is baffling to me.”
And that’s okay, to some extent I understand that feeling. Yes, the progress in AI or Large Language Models (LLM) since the advent of ChatGPT has been very impressive. There’s no denying that the advancements in AI on desktops and phones are astounding and truly incredible things are happening.
Even ordinary people who are not very tech-savvy, especially my friends and family, quickly realize that ChatGPT (or Gemini, or Copilot, etc.) can be a much more powerful tool than Google to answer questions and meet their needs. (Though, of course, Google has now injected AI into its top search results for this reason.) Or because it’s created a pretty spectacular image from scratch, as Suleyman notes.
But these are all good things. You can only talk about positive and happy things and not about the dark sadness created by all the worries and doubts about AI. And so on, in the storm…
Analysis: Microsoft needs to build trust
Of course, there’s a general fear of AI: that we’ll move fast and break things, which is the oft-cited concern. And that we are not doing enough to ensure security, while being overly focused on advancing the capabilities of artificial intelligence. (And when I say “we,” I mean, of course, those of us who make a lot of money from AI, related applications, and hardware.)
These broader concerns obviously apply to AI in Windows 11, but there are also more specific criticisms aimed at Microsoft’s new attempt to integrate more AI into its desktop operating system.
I’ve talked about this a lot lately, so I won’t go into details, but suffice it to say that the main point is that Microsoft’s focus on artificial intelligence is “unimpressive” (to put it mildly) when it comes to delivering new features in Windows 11, although the operating system still leaves a lot to be desired.
Consider, for example, the lack of basic functionality (moving the taskbar from the bottom of the screen) and the all-too-regular reports of errors and strange problems with Windows 11.
As I and many others have said, how can we trust Microsoft to properly apply AI and allow agents to perform potentially complex tasks while preserving our privacy and security, when even the basic elements of the Windows 11 interface constantly fail (slow search, file explorer, weird context menu, etc.)?
This is what is “disappointing” about Microsoft’s software development and quality assurance processes, which will also apply to the AI agents whose tentacles extend through Windows 11 and your files (which you have of course given the agent permission to access – I should be clear about this, but the AI can still access some content).
Another big problem is that Copilot’s demos, and especially its recent marketing efforts, have been disappointing. The practical use of AI doesn’t match the theory, as we saw in a recent clip where Copilot tries to help a user change text size in Windows 11, tripping over several points and doing some things completely wrong. It’s confusing how Microsoft’s marketing department allowed this clip to be posted and, frankly, the video has since been taken down.
While it’s understandable that those working on AI in Windows 11 are frustrated with the response, they should take this criticism into account and not be too harsh, as, to be fair, another Microsoft executive did.
Given the failed demos and the overall underwhelming nature of Copilot so far in Windows 11, with many of the early AI features focused on creative apps that aren’t for everyone, is it any wonder that many people aren’t all that excited? Or that some are downright hostile if they’re tired of bugs, parts of Windows 11 flashing in very strange ways, and the incessant marketing of other Microsoft services in the operating system? Or, if you’re thinking of protesting the recall, don’t forget this gem of painful thought and poor planning from a very privacy-sensitive AI feature.
For some, this has led to mistrust of Microsoft’s ability to use artificial intelligence properly and that the “snake” of these agents can somehow escape the confines of your security container through an exploit and end up sniffing through all your files.