Microsoft has clarified its position on the models that will be used in its 365 Copilot service after reports suggested it was considering integrating third-party alternatives to OpenAI’s lineup.
Speculation surrounding the relationship between the two companies arose after Reuters report Last month, Microsoft said it was “working to add internal and third-party AI models to support its flagship AI product.” Microsoft 365 co-pilot“
Sources said the decision was driven by Microsoft’s desire to diversify its current lineup of models. OpenAI to minimize its dependence on the firm, largely due to concerns about costs and performance for corporate clients.
Talking to ReutersA Microsoft spokesperson suggested that OpenAI will remain Microsoft’s primary partner for advanced models, the most advanced models that underpin the rest of its technologies. generative AI ecosystem.
They added that Microsoft “will use different OpenAI and Microsoft models depending on the product and experience.”
ITPro has reached out to Microsoft for clarification on how OpenAI will be implemented in future Copilot 365 products.
A Microsoft spokesperson confirmed the firm’s ongoing partnership with OpenAI for core models, but noted that the existing agreement allows Microsoft to “go beyond” simply customizing OpenAI models.
“OpenAI continues to be our partner in cutting-edge models. Our agreement allows us to go beyond fine-tuning and customize OpenAI models and IP precisely for our own needs so that we can integrate them directly into our products,” they explained.
That leaves open the possibility of using models from other sources in Microsoft’s products, and the spokesperson noted that the firm has signaled it will consider a range of sources for its generative AI solutions.
“As we have already said, we unite various models from OpenAI and Microsoft depending on product and experience.”
As an example, Microsoft said that some models work better in terms of speed and accuracy than others in specific areas and will therefore use a range of models in its products to achieve the best results.
“For example, recommending specific changes to a paragraph in Word may work best on one model, while formatting updates may perform just as well (and perhaps faster) on another model.”
Microsoft’s OpenAI partnership reaches $100 billion. Definition of AGI
Microsoft and OpenAI have maintained close ties for several years, with the latter artificial intelligence models is now present in many key Microsoft product lines.
In 2020, OpenAI licensed its GPT-3 model exclusively to Microsoft, giving the giant the right to integrate OpenAI models into its products and services, including Microsoft Office, Teamsand its Azure AI tools.
In turn, Microsoft became exclusive to OpenAI. cloud providerallowing it to take advantage of the powerful capabilities of Microsoft Azure cloud infrastructure to deliver OpenAI products and API services.
The partnership also included collaboration on research in AI control, ethicsand artificial general intelligence (AGI).
Microsoft launched its Azure OpenAI Servicedesigned to provide enterprises with access to OpenAI models, as well as a variety of security and governance features, in 2021.
Since its initial $1 billion. investment in a pioneer of generative artificial intelligence, Microsoft’s total investment in OpenAI is about 13 billion dollars.