Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff is predicting a big change in the artificial intelligence partnership between Microsoft and OpenAI. The partnership is under strain, and OpenAI is planning to expand its cloud infrastructure beyond Microsoft. OpenAI is partnering with SoftBank and Oracle on a $500 billion data center project called Stargate.
There is tension between key executives, including Mustafa Suleyman and Sam Altman, who do not get along. This tension is evident in their past interactions, including a conference in Davos last year where they were on panels together and did not get along. Microsoft has also hired Suleyman to lead its AI efforts, which may be a sign of the company’s changing priorities.
The partnership between Microsoft and OpenAI has been eroding since Microsoft’s initial $1 billion investment in 2019. OpenAI needs more computational resources, and Microsoft has its own AI ambitions, which are creating distance between the two organizations. Recent Microsoft AI announcements do not mention OpenAI, suggesting a potential strategic divergence. Microsoft is also developing its own large language model, MAI-1, which may indicate that the company is moving away from the OpenAI partnership.
Benioff’s company, Salesforce, uses OpenAI’s enterprise models and has invested in competitor Anthropic. Benioff seems to be pleased with the developing situation, which may benefit his company. The changing partnership between Microsoft and OpenAI may have significant implications for the tech industry and the development of artificial intelligence.
