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Microsoft has initiated a new research project, the MAI Superintelligence Team. It is focused on creating advanced AI systems that surpass human performance in particular areas, beginning with medical diagnostics.
Mustafa Suleyman, the company’s AI lead, stated that Microsoft will make significant investments in the new division. He specifically referred to as a move toward “medical superintelligence” that can detect diseases with greater precision than existing techniques.
He mentioned that the company anticipates “a clear view of medical superintelligence within the next two to three years.”
Central to this new approach is Microsoft’s MAI Diagnostic Orchestrator (MAI-DxO), an AI system evaluated using actual medical records from the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Far Exceeding Human Doctors
The model has been reported to achieve an accuracy of up to 85% in diagnosing complex medical cases, which is four times better than that of seasoned doctors, and does so at a reduced cost. The system will act as the basis for Microsoft’s vision with the new team.
Suleyman, a co-founder of DeepMind before moving to Microsoft, clarified that the company is not attempting to create a universal artificial intelligence that replicates human cognition.
Instead, it is focused on what he refers to as “Humanist Superintelligence,” an AI designed to address specific, significant issues while minimising risks. “Humanism compels us to question continually: does this technology benefit human interests?” he stated.
The new initiative gives Microsoft a distinct position among rivals such as Meta, OpenAI, and Safe Superintelligence Inc. All of its efforts is aimed at developing general-purpose systems capable of working in various aspects of healthcare.
Suleyman admitted that these generalist models are challenging to manage and align with human principles. However, Microsoft constantly strives to stay within defined ethical and regulatory boundaries.
The MAI Superintelligence Team is led by Karen Simonyan, a well-respected AI researcher and ex-DeepMind scientist. Microsoft intends to expand the team by recruiting talent from leading laboratories, reflecting the company’s recent bold hiring tactics in the sector.
Suleyman emphasised that this initiativegoes beyond marketing, and is a targeted effort to harness AI for tangible human advantage. He imagines that diagnostic AI might “extend our lifespan and provide everyone with more healthy years. Also, we will be able to identify preventable illnesses much quicker.”
