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The former Microsoft CEO admits in a recent podcast how he struggled to emotionally detach from Microsoft after retiring. Sometimes we can lose ourselves in our professions, especially if we really like our job. It can become a labor of love, not just a source of monetary benefits. In a recent episode of the "Acquired" podcast, former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer revealed that he had a difficult time emotionally detaching from the company he'd helped build from the ground up (via ). Steve Ballmer joined Microsoft in 1980 as the company's first business manager. Fast forward to the early millennium, and he took over from Bill Gates and became the company's CEO through 2014. Spending most of his professional life at Microsoft, Ballmer admits in this podcast that he had a difficult time letting go of the company: "It was my baby. I was there so early, and I hired basically everybody." Even after Satya Nadella took over as Microsoft CEO, Ballmer remained proactive in the company's affairs as an ultra-engaged investor. reading everything and attending shareholder meetings. He indicated that he was "kind of a dick" for it. In the end, Ballmer indicated that it took him a little over a year to emotionally detach from Microsoft. He even considered selling his Microsoft stocks to expedite the detachment process. "It was nothing to do with money," he added. "My only thought process was emotional detachment." However, he says a former colleague managed to discourage him from making the move. Ballmer indicated that his loyalty to Microsoft trumps emotional attachment. Luckily, the executive managed to strike a balance, retaining his loyalty to Microsoft but emotionally detached from its highs and lows. Bill Gates suffered from imposter syndrome in the early Microsoft days Bill Gates holding a copy of Windows XP in Times Square. (Image credit: Getty Images) Running a multi-trillion-dollar company like Microsoft isn't an easy feat. As you may know, Bill Gates and Paul Allen started the software giant in 1975, and the company celebrated its 50th birthday earlier this year in April. Bill Gates admitted that he had a difficult reveling in Microsoft's immense success in the tech landscape despite its impressive market capitalization that propelled him into a billionaire. The philanthropic billionaire indicated that the new reality only started dawning on him in 1998. The executive officially left his day-to-day role as Microsoft CEO in 2008, though he remained the chairman of the company's board until 2014. While he has since shifted his focus to philanthropic efforts via The Gates Foundation and is on the precipice of giving away all his wealth, recent reports suggest that Gates is still intimately involved in Microsoft's affairs, with his word being treated as "the gospel." Source Hope you enjoyed this news post. Thank you for appreciating my time and effort posting news every day for many years. News posts... 2023: 5,800+ | 2024: 5,700+ | 2025 (till end of May): 2,377 RIP Matrix | Farewell my friend
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Bill Gates says he'll donate 99 percent of his wealth to Africa
Karlston posted a news in General News
Microsoft co-founder and tech billionaire Bill Gates has pledged to donate a significant chunk of his personal wealth to African countries. As reported by the BBC, Gates's funding will be spent on improving health and education infrastructure in Africa over the next twenty years. The Gates Foundation has played an active role in improving public health and education in Africa over the past decades. Bill Gates aims to double down on that effort by donating most of his fortune to Africa. Last month, he also said that 99% of his fortune, which could exceed $200 billion, will go to African countries by 2045. Speaking at the African Union (AU) headquarters in Ethiopia's capital, Addis Ababa, Gates said, "By unleashing human potential through health and education, every country in Africa should be on a path to prosperity." The tech billionaire also told young African innovators to start relying on AI to improve health and education in their countries and use the technology to benefit the entire continent. He introduced Rwanda as a successful example of using AI in healthcare to identify high-risk pregnancies. "Africa largely skipped traditional banking and now you have a chance, as you build your next generation healthcare systems, to think about how AI is built into that," Gates added. By donating 99 percent of his personal fortune by 2045, Bill Gates can still maintain his position as one of the richest people on earth. According to Bloomberg, Gates's current net worth is around $175 billion. Gates's decision to donate 99 percent of his wealth to Africa came after the US administration cut USAID funding to African countries following the DOGE investigations. In a recent interview with the New York Times, Bill Gates called out Elon Musk for cutting the USAID budget, saying Musk has a role in the death of the poorest children on earth. Source Hope you enjoyed this news post. Thank you for appreciating my time and effort posting news every day for many years. News posts... 2023: 5,800+ | 2024: 5,700+ | 2025 (till end of May): 2,377 RIP Matrix | Farewell my friend -
Bill Gates says, "We weren't born to do jobs. AI will replace humans for most things."
Karlston posted a news in General News
Microsoft's co-founder says humans weren't born to do jobs, and that they are just a manifestation of historical labor shortages. With the rapid emergence of generative AI, the world is quickly evolving into a new realm and redefining how we view work. Over the past few months, Microsoft's co-founder Bill Gates has shared interesting insights about how AI will impact work. The philanthropic billionaire recently shared more insights about the impact of AI on jobs while in an exclusive interview with The Indian Express: "We weren't born to do jobs. Jobs are an artifact of the shortage that, oh gosh, somebody better be a farmer. Okay, somebody better drive those trucks around. All of that is based in creating the human intelligence to provide a broad range of services." "And so as you get away from that being a necessary thing, you get a lot more leisure time and it'll be people who've grown up in that world of no shortage who will have to think through." Bill Gates admits that it'll be an uphill task to reprogram the mind to adapt to this new reality, especially for a generation that has grown up in a world rife with shortages. However, once this feat is unlocked, the billionaire claims the society will reach a level of output, food, and medical advice that won't require everybody to work like they do today. Interestingly, Bill Gates says humans won't be required to work as hard as they do today. Instead, they'll have the choice to dictate what machines can help out with and preserve things for themselves. Will only three jobs survive the AI revolution? Bill Gates speaks onstage. (Image credit: Getty Images | Roy Rochlin | Stringer) Bill Gates recently indicated that AI will replace humans for most things, suggesting that it has a high propensity to automate most professions. However, he claimed that only three jobs will survive the AI revolution, including biologists, energy experts, and coders, predominantly because the fields are too complex to fully automate using AI. Interestingly, coding has been singled out by top players in the tech industry as the first profession on AI's chopping block. Even NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang claims coding might already be dead in the water with the prevalence of AI. Instead, the executive recommends exploring alternative career paths in biology, education, manufacturing, or farming. This year, Meta and Salesforce have been at the forefront, highlighting strategic changes in their workforce. Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff indicated that the company is seriously debating hiring new software engineers in 2025, while Mark Zuckerberg says mid-level AI engineers might claim coding jobs from professionals at Meta in 2025. And while Bill Gates' predictions are highly concerning, he claims AI might create a 2-day work week in 10 years. Source Hope you enjoyed this news post. Thank you for appreciating my time and effort posting news every day for many years. News posts... 2023: 5,800+ | 2024: 5,700+ | 2025 (till end of March): 1,357 RIP Matrix | Farewell my friend -
Microsoft's co-founder admitted that losing the mobile space to Android was his most costly mistake, with Windows still trailing. Running a successful company like Microsoft for 50 years is no easy feat. As part of the challenges of operating a multi-trillion-dollar industry, several mistakes are made along the way. For instance, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella admitted that pulling the plug on Windows Phone at the height of its glory was a strategic mistake. While in an interview, the executive indicated that there were other plausible alternatives that the company could've embraced rather than culling the mobile division: "The decision I think a lot of people talk about — and one of the most difficult decisions I made when I became CEO — was our exit of what I'll call the mobile phone as defined then. In retrospect, I think there could have been ways we could have made it work by perhaps reinventing the category of computing between PCs, tablets, and phones." As Microsoft's 50th anniversary edges closer, I'm looking back at Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates' greatest mistake. In 2019, while speaking at an event with venture capital firm Village Global, the executive admitted that his greatest mistake during his tenure as Microsoft CEO was losing the mobile space to Android. In every sense, Microsoft is arguably the best software development company, which is evident across its earnings reports. Building on this premise, the philanthropic billionaire claims developing an operating system similar to Android would've been "a natural thing for Microsoft to win." However, Bill Gates indicated that Microsoft missed its opportunity with Android partly due to his mismanagement, coupled with anti-trust issues that capped the company's progression. This gave Google the upper hand and competitive advantage over Microsoft, allowing it to acquire Android in 2005 and launch its first device in 2008. As you may know, Android is the most popular overall operating system in the world, predominantly because of its versatility and wide array of customization options. Was Microsoft's Android fumble Bill Gates' fault? Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft. (Image credit: Getty Images | Bloomberg | Windows Central) More recently, Bill Gates was placed under fire by Android co-founder Rich Miner for whining about Microsoft losing mobile to Android. Miner indicated that he helped develop Android to prevent Microsoft from "stifling innovation" by controlling the phone like they did with PC. For context, Miner was among the development crew that helped Orange launch the first Windows Mobile phone in 2002. According to Miner: "So, sorry, Bill, you're more responsible for losing the $400B than you realize." Bill Gates admits that were it not for his mismanagement, Microsoft would've seized the opportunity with Android and become the company. According to the Microsoft co-founder: "You know, in the software world, in particular for platforms, these are winner-take-all markets. So, you know, the greatest mistake ever is the whatever mismanagement I engaged in that caused Microsoft not to be what Android is, [meaning] Android is the standard non-Apple phone form platform. It really is a winner-take-all. If you’re there with half as many apps or 90% as many apps, you’re on your way to complete doom. There’s room for exactly one non-Apple operating system, and what’s that worth? $400 billion that would be transferred from company G [Google] to company M [Microsoft]." To that end, Android stacks miles ahead of Windows with 45.53% of the market share compared to the latter's mere 25.36% (via StatCounter). It'll be interesting to see if Microsoft is able to catch up with Android, especially as Windows 10's end-of-support edges closer and a wave of backlash against Windows 11 grows stronger. Source Hope you enjoyed this news post. Thank you for appreciating my time and effort posting news every day for many years. News posts... 2023: 5,800+ | 2024: 5,700+ | 2025 (till end of March): 1,357 RIP Matrix | Farewell my friend
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Gates lays out his theoretical plans to take on OpenAI and Google, as Microsoft turns 50. If time travel were a reality in this era of AI, Microsoft's co-founder Bill Gates would have gone back a few years to restart the software giant as an AI-centric firm. Microsoft is arguably one of the most successful companies ever, and it briefly became the world's most valuable company ahead of Apple and NVIDIA due to its cloud and, obviously, AI efforts. Fifty years into its successful software development business, Gates seemingly shared his intrusive thoughts, suggesting that he would start Microsoft all over again as an AI firm to take on OpenAI and Google. Last year, the philanthropic billionaire shared the idea while speaking to CNBC: "Today, somebody could raise billions of dollars for a new AI company [that’s just] a few sketch ideas." However, he admitted that the venture would require a huge amount of cash to hit the ground running and have the potential to catch up with OpenAI's uncontested 2-year lead developing ChatGPT. Interestingly, the Microsoft co-founder indicated that he'd strive to identify a unique niche in the AI landscape to meet a specific need, unlike the ever-emerging startups that are seemingly hell-bent on chasing AGI (Artificial General Intelligence). While AI shows great promise, Gates admits that it would be virtually impossible to scale Microsoft's success. However, he claims AI presents a transformative opportunity for emerging AI startups to explore the landscape and identify their niche. Billionaire Gates attributed Microsoft's success partly to his belief in software development. However, he doesn't think similar results can be replicated using AI: “Just believing in AI, that’s not very unique. So I would have to develop some unique view of how you design AI systems — something that other people didn’t get.” Bill Gates' AI dream for Microsoft might not be a utopia after all Bill Gates is still reportedly involved with Microsoft in an advisory role. (Image credit: Getty Images | Roy Rochlin | Stringer) Over the past few years, Microsoft's vision and efforts have seemingly shifted to generative AI, especially after it plunged a multi-billion dollar investment in OpenAI. Microsoft insiders have voiced their concerns about the partnership, claiming the tech giant has turned into "a glorified IT department for the hot startup." Source Hope you enjoyed this news post. Thank you for appreciating my time and effort posting news every day for many years. News posts... 2023: 5,800+ | 2024: 5,700+ | 2025 (till end of March): 1,357 RIP Matrix | Farewell my friend
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Microsoft's co-founder believes only coders, energy specialists, and biologists will survive AI's hostile takeover. Generative AI is reshaping the world by essentially automating redundant and repetitive tasks to give professionals ample time to focus on more important things. But on the back of that, there's a rising concern among professionals that this technology will eventually take over their jobs. For instance, a study revealed that 54% of banking jobs can be automated using AI. It's unclear if the banking sector will embrace the change, especially with the critical privacy and security issues riddling AI. Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates recently predicted that AI would replace humans for most things. However, the philanthropic billionaire indicated that it'd be mostly up to humans how they interact with AI, choosing what to preserve for themselves. He jokingly indicated that no one would like to watch computers playing baseball. Building on this premise, Gates recently shared more insights about the AI revolution, indicating that AI is gaining broad adoption across organizations, leaving professionals redundant at work. However, not all hope is lost, at least for three professions greenlit by the billionaire as future-proof in the emerging AI era. According to Gates, coders, energy experts, and biologists are safe from the hostile AI takeover. Interestingly, over the past few months, I've covered multiple reports suggesting that coding might be dead in the water with the rapid prevalence of AI. NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang discouraged the youth from exploring a career path in software engineering, suggesting they might have better luck in biology, education, manufacturing, or farming. AI can't code at human-level yet Coding and programming on a laptop. (Image credit: Getty Images | Krongkaew) While multiple reports and the ever-emerging proprietary AI models suggest coding might be the first profession on AI's chopping block, Bill Gates says human professionals are essential to the process (via Axios). OpenAI's o1 reasoning model has posted great results across various benchmarks, including coding, prompting some users to question the importance of hiring software engineers. As you may remember, Salesforce's CEO Marc Benioff recently indicated that the company is "seriously debating" on hiring software engineers in 2025. It's apparent that AI can generate code, but Bill Gates says human professionals are still essential for the process, as they'll help identify and correct errors, refine algorithms, and bolster AI development. Interestingly, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman recently indicated that AI would eventually replace software engineers, suggesting that there's an urgent need to master AI tools. As for biologists, Gates claims argues that AI is great at diagnosing diseases and analyzing DNA but reiterates that the technology lacks the creativity for biological research and scientific discovery. On the other hand, the billionaire says AI won't replace energy experts because the field is too complex to be fully automated. Source Hope you enjoyed this news post. Thank you for appreciating my time and effort posting news every day for many years. News posts... 2023: 5,800+ | 2024: 5,700+ | 2025 (till end of February): 874 RIP Matrix | Farewell my friend
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Microsoft's co-founder praised how Satya Nadella has since proved a top choice with his impressive AI and cloud computing stats. In 2023, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella admitted that he'd never pictured Steve Ballmer or Bill Gates ever leaving the company while discussing his ascend to the top seat. The executive revealed he'd never considered sitting at the helm of a Fortune 500 company, running its day-to-day operations. Nadella admitted that he was reluctant to take the position when a board member offered it to him. He indicated he would only take the position if the board member genuinely wanted him to, but was informed that he "really needed to want to be CEO" to get the position. In a recent interview, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates said that Satya Nadella almost missed the opportunity to become Microsoft's CEO (via Fortune). Satya Nadella almost didn't become CEO Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella. (Image credit: Windows Central) Satya Nadella became Microsoft CEO in 2014, taking the mantle from Steve Ballmer and making the company among the world's most valuable companies with over $3 trillion in market capitalization. The tech giant's immense success can undoubtedly be attributed to its recent AI and cloud computing efforts. Interestingly, Nadella was backed by Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer to become the company's CEO. As you may know, Bill Gates left Microsoft in 2000 but continued to be a member of its board before fully transitioning to philanthropic efforts through the "Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation." However, the billionaire is reportedly intimately involved in the company's affairs, with some insiders claiming "his opinion is sought every time we make a major change," including AI and recruiting high-ranking executives. Gates admits that he was haunted by intrusive thoughts about Microsoft's future after he stepped down as CEO and was replaced by Steve Ballmer: "I'll tear up on this, ’cause it meant a lot to me. I've had two successors, and boy, do I feel lucky because as I went off to do the foundation work, the one thing that plagued me was: Was I going to see the company fade in terms of its excellence?" The Microsoft co-founder indicated that when Steve Ballmer announced his planned retirement, the board of members faced the difficult task of finding the perfect candidate for what might be considered the most complex CEO position in the world. Bill Gates also took the opportunity to tout Satya Nadella's empathetic leadership style as Microsoft's CEO and its contribution to the company's overall success. "I’ve come to value empathy more over the course of my career," added Gates. "Early on we were speed nuts, staying all night [at the office, thinking], 'Oh, you’re five percent slower as a programmer? You don’t belong here.' It was very hard-core." Source Hope you enjoyed this news post. Thank you for appreciating my time and effort posting news every day for many years. News posts... 2023: 5,800+ | 2024: 5,700+ | 2025 (till end of February): 874 RIP Matrix | Farewell my friend
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Microsoft's co-founder claims AI will replace humans for most things and we'll have AI agents prioritizing tasks that are worth it. With the emergence of generative AI, there has been a lot of speculation about how the technology will impact our lives. On the one hand, there's a 99.9% probability it will end humanity, but as we edge closer to existential doom, the technology might claim jobs from professionals, from software engineering to architectural gigs. To that end, it is still incredibly difficult to determine how things will play out, especially following recent reports that suggest top AI labs, including Google, Anthropic, and OpenAI won't be able to develop advanced AI systems soon. The reports attribute the issue to a lack of high-quality content for model training. However, key executives in the AI landscape, including former Google CEO Eric Schmidt, disputed the claims indicating that there is no evidence showing that scaling laws have begun to stop AI progression. "There is no wall," added OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. In a recent podcast interview, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates painted a future where AI is integrated across all aspects and spheres of our lives. The philanthropic billionaire claims the AI era is reminiscent of when the computer first launched. As you may know, computers were broadly seen as enterprise devices, restricting them to businesses, mostly due to the cost implication and usability (limited internet connection hampered the adoption of computers in households for a long time). In Gates' youth, the executive mapped out a plan to get computers to every household, envisioning a future where computers could learn. Gates indicated that improving user experience with better PC graphics would help bring his dream to life. Voila, a majority of households now have a PC, and in some cases, multiple devices. Interestingly, the billionaire predicts AI will follow the same route, with everyone ending up with a dedicated AI agent to cater for their needs. Interestingly, this isn't the first time the billionaire is sharing his thoughts about AI's trajectory and impact on society. In February, he indicated that AI is getting scary and showing great potential to replace humans for most things. According to Gates: “The era we’re just starting is that intelligence is rare — a great doctor or a great teacher. With AI, over the next decade, that will become free, commonplace — great medical advice, great tutoring. It’s kind of profound because it solves all of these specific problems like we don’t have enough doctors or mental health professionals. But it brings with it so much change.” AI won't be taking over everything While the Microsoft co-founder indicated AI will take over most things, he clarified that it'll be mostly up to humans to decide where to integrate the technology to satisfy their needs and wants. According to Gates: “There will be some things we reserve for ourselves. But in terms of making things and moving things and growing food, over time those will be basically solved problems." Who'd enjoy watching computers play baseball? Elsewhere, Bill Gates has shared concerns about AI potentially stealing his job, but creating a 3-day workweek opportunity for employees. Source Hope you enjoyed this news post. Thank you for appreciating my time and effort posting news every day for many years. News posts... 2023: 5,800+ | 2024: 5,700+ | 2025 (till end of February): 874 RIP Matrix | Farewell my friend
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Bill Gates says 2 AM sneaking to code at 13 and leaving Harvard to run Microsoft as CEO heavily contributed to its $3 trillion success. Microsoft is arguably the most valuable company in the world, with a market capitalization of over $3 trillion. Its products and services have been broadly adopted worldwide and are essential to the success of most organizations. Last year's CrowdStrike global IT outage caused by a faulty kernel driver crippled operations across a wide range of business after leaving approximately 8.5 million Windows devices with dreadful a Blue Screen of Death (BSoD) error. While competition has stiffened over the years, prompting the Redmond giant to trade places with NVIDIA and Apple for the top spot due to their heavy investment in the AI bubble, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates recently shared the early key ingredients contributing to the tech giant's success. As highlighted in the co-founder's new memoir, Source Code: My Beginnings, the philanthropic billionaire revealed that he began sneaking out at the wee hours of the night at the tender age of 13 to code because his house didn't have a computer. He'd take a 20-minute ride downtown to access a computer, where he'd often practice and perfect his coding skills, only to return home at 2 a.m. Gates indicated that he greatly benefited from "laissez-faire treatment," as passers-by were seemingly unphased by his presence in town in the dead of night. Bill Gates attributed his early interactions with a computer to a local company in Seattle called Computer Center. He had unlimited computer access, where he'd spend hours perfecting his coding skills. However, he was required to help the company with bugs and malware issues. Bill Gates had to leave Harvard for Microsoft (Image credit: Getty Images | NBC) Bill Gates revealed he was forced to ditch Harvard University barely three semesters after joining the prestigious learning institution. “I had to give in to the inevitable and give up school and, of course, never go back,” Gates indicated while speaking to CNBC. Gates revealed his departure from Harvard was prompted when his longtime buddy and Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen ran to his room with a copy of Popular Electronics magazine, which featured the “world’s first minicomputer kit to rival commercial models” on the cover. The Altair 8800, developed by Micro Instrumentation and Telemetry Systems (MITS), prompted a lightbulb moment for the quo, consequently leading to Microsoft's debut. While speaking to CNBC, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates indicated: “Until then, we felt like, ‘Hey, this is going to happen and we’ll figure out our timing and what kind of company to do. The panic about, ‘God, it’s happening without us,’ was when Popular Electronics had the kit computer [on its cover]. Little did we know, [MITS] basically hadn’t assembled any of them.” Bill Gates seemingly enjoyed his short time at the Ivy League learning institution, but in hindsight, he admits he'd have fumbled his opportunity with Microsoft. Source Hope you enjoyed this news post. Thank you for appreciating my time and effort posting news every day for many years. News posts... 2023: 5,800+ | 2024: 5,700+ | 2025 (till end of January): 487 RIP Matrix | Farewell my friend
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Microsoft's co-founder says AI is getting so advanced that people may not be needed in many future roles. Bill Gates recently shared some interesting insights about the rapid progression of generative AI while appearing for an interview on The Tonight Show hosted by Jimmy Fallon. The Microsoft co-founder predicts AI will gradually take over more professions, eventually replacing humans in the workplace. According to Gates: The philanthropic billionaire admitted the rapid evolution of generative AI is beginning to scare people, prompting the host to ask whether we'll need humans in this new era of innovation. Gates kept his answer simple and short: "Not for most things." Bill Gates further clarified that it'll mostly be up to humans to decide when to utilize AI to meet specific needs. For instance, he pointed out that people wouldn't want to watch AI-powered devices playing baseball. “There will be some things we reserve for ourselves. But in terms of making things and moving things and growing food, over time those will be basically solved problems," he added. The Microsoft co-founder has blatantly championed AI advances across the world, branding 2024 as "the year of AI." In a separate interview, he indicated that he'd start Microsoft again as an AI firm to take on OpenAI and Google. While he indicated it would be easy to raise billions for an AI-centric firm based on a few sketch ideas, he admitted it's difficult to succeed in the AI landscape compared to software, making it paramount to identify a niche with little competition. In a previous episode of Bill Gates' Unfocused Me podcast, the Microsoft co-founder hosted OpenAI CEO Sam Altman to discuss developments in the AI landscape. He highlighted concerns about AI potentially taking his job but also painted a scenario where the technology presented a 3-day workweek opportunity. Source Hope you enjoyed this news post. Thank you for appreciating my time and effort posting news every day for many years. News posts... 2023: 5,800+ | 2024: 5,700+ | 2025 (till end of January): 487 RIP Matrix | Farewell my friend
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Shockingly, Bill Gates said he didn't view Microsoft as a success until the late 90s. As Microsoft's 50th anniversary edges closer, there's a lot of nostalgia in the air. Depending on how you look at a half-filled glass, there are plenty of amazing moments we've reveled in as longtime Microsoft watchers. There have been bitter moments, too. For instance, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella admitted that killing Windows Phone was a strategic mistake. Bill Gates, Microsoft co-founder, recounted the early days of founding and running the day-to-day company operations in a detailed, dated article by The New York Times from 1995 (via Fortune). Shockingly, the Microsoft co-founder revealed that he hadn't always been confident about his abilities. In a separate report, Bill Gates admitted to CNBC that "I wouldn’t say that I felt comfortable that we were successful until about 1998 or so." For context, this was 11 years after Microsoft had gone public, raising over $61 million in a single day. At the time, the software giant had enjoyed considerable success, brushing shoulders with major tech players like Apple. It's worth noting that Gates had already attained billionaire status despite his woes to propel Microsoft to a new realm of success. According to Bill Gates: “Not until the late-90s did I feel like, ‘Wow, we can even make a few mistakes and still be okay. I thought I was one mistake away from death until then. That was just my mentality.” Fast-forward to 2025, Microsoft is arguably one of the most successful companies in the world. In 2024, Microsoft's big bet on AI and multi-billion partnership with OpenAI briefly propelled the software giant to the top spot, ahead of Apple and NVIDIA as the world's most valuable company with over $3 trillion in market capitalization. Bill Gates' ruthless focus on work has contributed to Microsoft's current success. However, the co-founder's track record isn't blemish-free. The co-founder admits that the greatest mistake during his tenure fumbled Microsoft's opportunity "to be what Android is," translating to a $400 billion missed opportunity. Bill Gates revealed his greatest mistake of all time made Microsoft miss its opportunity with Android, partly due to mismanagement and antitrust-related issues. However, Android co-founder Rich Miner says Bill Gates is more responsible than he's letting on. It's been years since Bill Gates left Microsoft to focus on philanthropy. However, reports indicate that the co-founder is still intimately involved in company affairs and treats his advice as 'gospel.' Source Hope you enjoyed this news post. Thank you for appreciating my time and effort posting news every day for many years. News posts... 2023: 5,800+ | 2024: 5,700+ | 2025 (till end of January): 487 RIP Matrix | Farewell my friend
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Android co-founder blames Bill Gates for Microsoft's $400 billion loss and missed opportunity in the mobile landscape. During an interview with Eventbrite CEO Julia Hartz, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates revealed his greatest mistake while running the software giant, indicating: “The greatest mistake of all time is the mismanagement I engaged in that caused Microsoft not to be what Android is.” As a result, Google ended up developing Android before Microsoft, arguably the most popular operating system, majorly due to its versatility and high level of customization. While the billionaire claims developing a similar operating system would be "a natural thing for Microsoft to win," he admits mismanagement on his part and an array of antitrust-related issues prevented the company from seizing the opportunity, Following Microsoft's missed opportunity, Google moved to acquire Android in 2005, prompting the launch of its first device in September 2008. On the other hand, Apple had a significant lead over Google in the mobile landscape for over one year and had already launched its first iPhone in 2007. Interestingly, Android co-founder Rich Miner shares a different account on Bill Gates and Microsoft's missed opportunity with Android. According to Miner: "I literally helped create Android to prevent Microsoft from controlling the phone the way they did the PC - stifling innovation. So it's always funny for me to hear Gates whine about losing mobile to Android." Miner further disclosed that he was part of the team that helped Orange launch the first Windows Mobile phone in 2002. Speaking of Windows Phone, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella admits pulling the plug on It was a "strategic mistake." The Android co-founder further indicated that he was worried Microsoft would end up controlling mobile like PCs. "So, sorry, Bill, you're more responsible for losing the $400B than you realize," Miner concluded. Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates added that if he had seized the opportunity when it presented itself, Microsoft would be the company. However, Microsoft is fairing quite well and is among the world's top three most valuable companies, battling for the top spot against Apple and NVIDIA. Last year, Microsoft briefly held the crown ahead of Apple and NVIDIA with over $3 trillion in market valuation, predominantly due to its early investment and adoption of generative AI across its tech stack. Bill Gates says the tech giant continues to enjoy considerable success through its wide array of products, including Windows and Office. Source Hope you enjoyed this news post. Thank you for appreciating my time and effort posting news every day for many years. News posts... 2023: 5,800+ | 2024: 5,700+ RIP Matrix | Farewell my friend
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Despite seemingly exiting Microsoft, Bill Gates still plays a major role in the firm's decision making process. What you need to know A new report indicates that Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates is still intimately involved in the company's affairs years after stepping down from the board to focus on philanthropy. Gates' advice is reportedly treated as gospel, and he also played a crucial role in fostering Microsoft and OpenAI's partnership, and consequently, the success witnessed in the category. Gates actively takes part in the recruitment of high-ranking executives at the firm, reviews new products, and more. Microsoft has enjoyed great success since it started dabbling in AI and integrated its fully-fledged AI-powered assistant, Copilot across most of its products and services. The tech giant is now the world's most valuable company with over $3 trillion in market capitalization. The tech firm's multi-billion dollar investment (recently mistaken as an acquisition of ChatGPT-maker company) and extended partnership with OpenAI has 13 market analysts unanimously voting that Microsoft will be the world's most valuable company in the next five years ahead of Apple. Some have indicated Microsoft is on the verge of reaching its iPhone moment with AI with the company's latest earnings report building on this premise. The immense success Microsoft currently enjoys is often attributed to the company's early lead and investment in AI coupled with Satya Nadella's impeccable leadership skills. But as it turns out, there's more to the story than Microsoft lets on. To the public eye, Microsoft co-founder and former Bill Gates left the firm's board of directors to focus more on his philanthropic efforts at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, according to a report by Business Insider, the former CEO is still involved in the company's affairs and has been the muscle behind its AI efforts. Per sources familiar with the matter, Bill Gates is still 'intimately' involved in Microsoft's operations and strategies and is often a part of the recruitment of high-ranking executives at the firm, reviews new products, and more. More importantly, Gates' contributions have heavily impacted Microsoft's relationship with OpenAI, however complicated it might be. According to one of Microsoft's top executives: "What you read is not what's happening in reality. Satya and the entire senior leadership team lean on Gates very significantly. His opinion is sought every time we make a major change." Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella took over the company's leadership from Steve Ballmer but had been working there since 1992. Satya started his humble beginnings at Microsoft as an Excel product demonstrator. He quickly climbed the ranks at the company and ultimately rose to the top seat but saw himself as an "internal stranger" and even admitted that he never thought "someday Microsoft would have neither Bill nor Steve." Microsoft CEO heavily relies on Bill Gates for technical advice (Image credit: moneycontrol on YouTube) Upon his appointment as CEO, Satya often turned to Gates for advice. He reportedly asked Gates to set aside 30% of his time to serve as a technical advisor for Microsoft. Satya and Gate's professional relationship continued to thrive beyond the latter's departure from the company's board in 2020. During Gates' departure from the company, Satya praised him for his contributions and promised that the company would continue to profit from his technical advice and passion. But this tone quickly changed in 2021 while Gates and Melinda were in divorce proceedings. At the time, Gates had reportedly been forced to step down from the company for having an affair with an employee. The situation worsened when several female employees highlighted Gates' misconduct, including asking them out. It is at this juncture that Satya seemingly distanced himself from Gates. And while Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella's relationship with Bill Gates seemed broken, this wasn't the case. It's reported that Satya continued to rely on Gates for his technical advice and knowledge, which has heavily impacted the company's direction and AI advances. Was Bill Gates the key ingredient that fostered the Microsoft-OpenAI deal? (Image credit: Microsoft, OpenAI | MIcrosoft Image Creator) While Microsoft's CTO Kevin Scott brokered the Microsoft and OpenAI partnership in 2018, it's reported that Bill Gates had been meeting up with the ChatGPT-maker from as early as 2016. As such, it's believed that he played an important role in the partnership. Gates is also rumored to have challenged OpenAI and its CEO, Sam Altman, to create an LLM with the capability of passing an advanced Biology test. At the time, Gates didn't believe it was possible, but it was indeed. Interestingly, OpenAI's Sam Altman debuted GPT-4 outside Gates' residence in 2022 where he'd been having dinner with the billionaire and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella. Gates indicated it was "the most stunning demo I've ever seen in my life." Gates skillfully curated Copilot's plot (Image credit: Windows Central | Jez Corden) Before Microsoft and OpenAI forged their tech bromance, Bill Gates shared an internal memo with Satya Nadella alongside top executives at the company. While vague, it talks about "AI agents" designed to help satisfy your wants and needs, but are more powerful than your basic voice assistant. After Altman debuted GPT-4, Gates shared another memo highlighting several ways the technology should be leveraged to make work easier, including reading and summarizing your emails and more. Gates believed that the model trained using the information on the internet was the beginning of a new era with personal AI agents. Sources with close affiliations to Microsoft detailed Gates' words and advice were treated as the gospel. Consequently, Satya Nadella challenged his team to integrate AI across its wide portfolio of products and services, including cybersecurity, Microsoft 365, etc. Microsoft spread its AI glory to its seemingly dead search engine, Bing, ultimately placing it on an even playing field to potentially compete with Google. Microsoft CEO has indicated that Google doesn't play fair with Bing. However, supercharging the search engine with AI doesn't seem to have any major impact on Google's search market share. However, it recently surpassed 140 million daily active users after the EU antitrust watchdog gave the service and Edge a pass on DMA rules since they aren't dominant enough in the digital markets. Source
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Bill Gates through the Gates Foundation and its partners, is looking into AI innovations to improve living conditions in low-income areas across the world. What you need to know Former Microsoft CEO, Bill Gates says 2024 will be the year of AI. He says the technology is practically taking over the world, and that it's going to get more intensive as the years go by and more people embrace AI. The Gates Foundation is primarily focused on using the tech to address health issues affecting poor countries like AIDS and TB. There's no doubt that this year has been huge for generative AI, given the numerous inventions and advances that have been made. AI-powered tools like ChatGPT, Microsoft's Copilot (formerly Bing Chat), Bing Image Creator, and more have completely revolutionized how I work (but that's a story for another day). I believe the same sentiments are reiterated by large masses of people, including Microsoft's former CEO, Bill Gates. While looking back at the year that was, as we forge towards 2024 in the next few days, Gates penned a letter highlighting how AI will shape the future. Gates looks into the future through his young granddaughter's eyes. This is because this is essentially the generation that will inherit a "full-fledged" AI-powered world. While many might argue that the technology is still new, we've already seen the input it has on various industries, including computing, medicine, education, and more. Admittedly, there's a cloud of concern looming over most users, predominantly because of the lack of guardrails alongside privacy issues revolving around the emerging technology. The Biden-Harris administration has already addressed some of these issues through an Executive Order, which has already started taking shape. It recently blocked an NVIDIA shipment headed to China over safety concerns. The US government quickly issued a statement citing that the move was designed to establish control over AI chips, and not to run down the country's economy. However, the country has since turned its eyes to GPU recycling factories for its AI chip needs. Bill Gates compares the emergence of AI to when the internet had just become available. He looks back at the trajectory the technology took from the onset, from not knowing how many people have access to everyone having an email address and using the tool to scour the web. Bill Gates: The future looks bright for AI Gates further points out his investment in innovation while working at Microsoft and even now at the Gates Foundation alongside his wife, Melinda. He categorically stated that it's the main reason why a lot of progress has been over the years across all spheres of our lives. He added that innovation has contributed to the emergence of electricity, cars, planes, and significant advances in medicine over the past few years, further highlighting his favorite innovation story, where the number of children who die before the age of five has reduced by half since 2000. He attributed this success to innovation, as it allowed scientists to come up with efficient and effective vaccines that are safe and affordable for all. Bill Gates through the Gates Foundation intends to explore the technology more and optimize its capabilities in a bid to create new medicines by combining large amounts of data and AI tools to hasten the process. According to Gates: To this end, the Gate Foundation is exploring multiple AI innovations alongside its partners to leverage these technologies to enhance living conditions across low-income areas. What are your thoughts on AI? Do you think the guardrails in place are enough to prevent it from spiraling out of control? Let us know in the comments. Source
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Bill Gates speaks out against artificial intelligence pause saying it won't solve challenges
Karlston posted a news in Technology News
Bill Gates has said a pause on the development of artificial intelligence won’t solve the challenges the technology presents, Reuters has reported. His comments come after 1,100 signatories published a letter calling for all generative AI labs to halt the training of AI systems for half a year for guardrails to be put in place. On the matter of a pause, the Microsoft co-founder said: “I don’t think asking one particular group to pause solves the challenges. Clearly there’s huge benefits to these things… what we need to do is identify the tricky areas. I don’t really understand who they’re saying could stop, and would every country in the world agree to stop, and why to stop. But there are a lot of different opinions in this area.” When it was getting on for the end of March, Gates posted a piece on his blog explaining that artificial intelligence was as revolutionary as mobile phones and the internet. It’s true we’ve had AI for a while through services like Alexa and Google Assistant but with ChatGPT and Google Bard, we’ve seen a substantial improvement in the technology. It’s not clear yet whether the letter calling for a pause will be heeded or ignored, but over the weekend, Italian deputy PM Matteo Salvini said the block on ChatGPT introduced by the country’s Data Protection Authority was excessive. This could suggest that politicians aren’t on board with limiting access or stifling these services. Source: Reuters Bill Gates speaks out against artificial intelligence pause saying it won't solve challenges -
In a Reddit AMA (ask me anything) session, Microsoft founder Bill Gates has said that he is currently using a foldable phone as his daily driver. However, the foldable device that he has mentioned is not the Surface Duo 2, it's Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3. Bill Gates has mentioned that the Galaxy Z Fold3 is a device that is a portable PC and a phone at the same time. And it seems he loves that characteristic of the Z Fold3. However, the Microsoft founder has also mentioned that he loves to try "different ones." Gates has never always been quite open about which devices he has for personal use. Back when it became quite clear that Windows Phone was dead, Gates openly admitted that he was using "an Android phone with a lot of Microsoft software." However, Gates ditching Windows Phone in favor of Android was quite an obvious choice because he didn't seem to like iPhone that much. And now, even though Microsoft is trying to sort of re-renter the phone space with the Surface Duo lineup, the ex-Microsoft CEO doesn't seem convinced enough to try the Surface Duo 2 as his daily driver. While the first-generation Surface Duo had received a great response from both reviewers and users, the second-generation Duo failed to get the appeal it needed to go head to head with rivals like the Galaxy Z Fold3. Nevertheless, after the March 2022 firmware update, the Surface Duo 2 now seems to be a much better product than it was when it was launched. However, the firmware update didn't bring enough improvements to convince Bill Gates. He seems to be enjoying the experience of the Galaxy Z Fold3 for now. Source: Reddit | via Android Authority Bill Gates uses a foldable phone, but it's not a Surface
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But it probably doesn’t include all of the juicy details about what goes on at Microsoft. Bill Gates has written a memoir, covering the days of his childhood all the way until he formed Microsoft in 1975. The book, called Source Code: My Beginnings, doesn’t go on sale until February 4th, 2025, but it’s available for preorder now. In a post on his blog, Gates says the book goes over “the tougher parts of my early life, including feeling like a misfit as a kid, butting heads with my parents as a rebellious teen, grappling with the sudden loss of someone close to me, and nearly getting kicked out of college.” It also covers Gates’ decision to co-found Microsoft with the late Paul Allen. What it doesn’t seem like it will include, though, is the inner workings of Microsoft and Gates’ other business endeavors. The book’s description says Source Code is “not about Microsoft or the Gates Foundation or the future of technology.” Instead, it’s “the human, personal story of how Bill Gates became who he is today: his childhood, his early passions and pursuits.” Source Hope you enjoyed this news post. Thank you for appreciating my time and effort posting news every single day for many years. 2023: Over 5,800 news posts | 2024 (till end of May): Nearly 2,400 news posts
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The Verge spoke with Bill Gates about AI, misinformation, and climate change. Bill Gates has spent billions funding technologies he thinks will shape the future — from fighting climate change to eradicating disease. Gates gets into the thick of it all in a new Netflix series called “What’s Next? The Future with Bill Gates.” It launches on September 18th with episodes on AI, climate change, inequality, misinformation, and global health. The Verge spoke with Gates to discuss what makes him so optimistic about the technologies covered in the series. And we couldn’t resist asking him about his days leading Microsoft, too. This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity. In the first episode, you ask ChatGPT to recommend an exercise you can do in your office. Do you use ChatGPT in your day-to-day life, and if so, how? Well, actually, not for exercise, although that was a good example where it gave quite a good answer. “The amount of investment by Microsoft and others in the field, it’s hard to overstate.” You know, I’m often learning about topics, and ChatGPT is an excellent way to get explanations for specific questions. I’m often writing things, and it’s a huge help in writing. I’d say the feature I use the most is the meeting summary, which is integrated into [Microsoft] Teams, which I use a lot. The ability to interact and not just get the summary, but ask questions about the meeting, is pretty fantastic. Do you think Microsoft should expand its partnership with OpenAI or invest more in its own tech? I’m an adviser to Microsoft. It’s strengthening the OpenAI relationship, doing a lot of its own. I mean, the amount of investment by Microsoft and others in the field, it’s hard to overstate. And this comes up in this series — what about all the prophecies of doom? Are you worried about AI destroying the world? Well, the near-term issues are more using it in a positive way, in areas like health and education. Even in the United States, we have shortages. The idea of the personal tutor, which I’ve been out in Newark to see Khanmigo [Khan Academy’s AI tool], which is based on ChatGPT. Seeing how great that is to help the teachers do their jobs, help the students who are behind or ahead stay engaged. So, for the next decade, we’ll be experiencing increased productivity in a lot of areas, which is overwhelmingly very good news. As it gets more powerful, and you know, as bad guys are using it, there’ll be issues. But overall, I believe that it’s a beneficial thing, and we need to just shape it in the right way. Disinformation, that’s something that researchers are also concerned about AI supercharging. Have you given any thought into how you would feel if generative AI tools that Microsoft has worked on have a significant impact on disinformation, on things like climate change and global health? I think AI, on balance, is super beneficial to work on climate. People can type misinformation into a word processor. They don’t need AI, you know, to type out crazy things. And so I’m not sure that, other than creating deepfakes, AI really changes the balance there. In fact, I’d say that as people talk about reducing misinformation, the role of AI can be a positive role in terms of looking at what’s going on in a superefficient way. Most of the problems in the series — like how we should think about AI, how we can get rid of malaria and improve global health, and various climate innovations — there’s things that I’m working on that are a big part of solving the problem. Misinformation is the one where I do think the younger generation is going to have to look at the tradeoffs between free speech and misinforming people. Training AI uses a lot of energy. How do you square that with your ambitions on combating climate change, especially as Microsoft’s greenhouse gas emissions grow? Microsoft and the other tech companies are very committed to finding clean energy sources, and so they’ll be pioneering customers, even for things like geothermal or fission or fusion, to help bootstrap that green energy generation. The actual increase from the AI data centers, even in the extreme view, would be well under 10 percent. So, the net benefit we’re getting from AI helping us in our scientific discovery of, okay, how do you make steel? How do you make meat? What’s the weather going to be like? The AI benefits exceed the fact that that’s just another electricity load, but not a load nearly as big as electric cars or electric heat pumps or switching the industrial economy to use electricity instead of direct use of hydrocarbons. Screenshot: Rhodium Group You’ve funded technologies that some activists call “false solutions” to climate change because capturing carbon doesn’t get rid of fossil fuels or the other pollution they cause. And nuclear energy is kicking up a fight over uranium mining near Indigenous communities. How do you address those concerns with climate tech? I’m a big believer that nuclear energy can help us solve the climate problem, which is very, very important. There are designs that, in terms of their safety or fuel use or how they handle waste, I think, minimize those problems. This can become — although it’s not today — very inexpensive electricity, either using fission or fusion. So, we need to make sure we’re tasteful in how we do mining, how we store the waste. But we need those technologies. You’re going to need non-weather-dependent sources that can be near to where the electricity loads are to complement an extreme build-out of renewables. Fission, we can make it cheap. TerraPower is a company trying to show we can make a much safer, but much cheaper form of fission. [Editor’s note: Gates is founder and chairman of the Board of TerraPower.] And people are appropriately skeptical because it’s never been done. But they’ll get to see as we build that plant, and if so, it can make a contribution. Carbon dioxide removal encompasses a suite of strategies to take carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere. These technologies could potentially help slow climate change by trapping some of the pollution fossil fuels have already released over the years. There are still concerns about its costs, safety, and potential to delay a transition from fossil fuels to carbon pollution-free energy. Experts say carbon removal is no substitute for preventing greenhouse gas emissions in the first place. What about concerns about carbon capture? Fossil fuels create not just carbon dioxide emissions, but other pollution. How do you address those environmental justice concerns as well? Well, coal, definitely, it’s great that in many countries, it’s been out-competed by natural gas. Because in terms of local pollution, natural gas burns very clean. And although it creates CO2 per unit of energy, it creates less. Over time, we’ll even have to get rid of natural gas, but it does not have those local pollution things. [Editor’s note: burning natural gas creates nitrogen dioxide, a smog-forming pollutant and respiratory irritant.] Here in the US, people are not building new coal plants — they’re switching, and so the health benefits of getting rid of that local particulate are another reason to accelerate those transitions. That’s true all over the world, although they’re not as blessed with cheap natural gas as we are, which is why things like fission and fusion will play an important complementary role to renewables in large parts of the world. I know a lot of advocates are also concerned about natural gas when it comes to methane leaks from gas infrastructure, and even leaks from gas appliances in the home, and what that means for indoor air quality. Fusion is exciting. Experts that I’ve talked to who are also hopeful don’t think we’ll see it within the timelines needed in the Paris agreement. What makes you so optimistic about fusion being ready in time? I’m invested in five fusion companies, which, although their timeframes are further out, I think the role of fusion over time will be very, very critical. Given the challenge of scaling out both the existing and new technologies, we’ll certainly miss the 1.5 degree goal, and we’ll probably miss the two degree goal. And so we’ll have to be very innovative about adaptation as well, making sure that the health and nutrition and well-being of people, even in the poor countries near the equator, that we’re not letting that get worse. Despite the fact we’ll have climate challenges over time, I don’t think we’ll have a climate disaster because we will be able to deploy these new technologies. But you know, we’re not going to avoid two degrees of warming, and so we’ll have to mix in some adaptation. Is there anything you wish you’d done differently when you were running Microsoft? Well, I learned all the time when I was running Microsoft. And on balance, I feel great about the company and the work that was done. I feel very lucky that my successors carried on the work so it’s still a great company today. A lot of the learning I do about AI to help in areas like global health and education comes from that engaging with Microsoft and talking to the top people there. So, you know, I really value the fact Satya gives me that opportunity. There’s a lot of focus on antitrust right now, including breaking up tech giants. What would the tech landscape look like today if Microsoft had actually been split up in the early 2000s? These antitrust suits, I don’t know what will come of them. When you get companies this successful, they ought to assume it’s going to happen. And of course, they can see what Microsoft did well, didn’t do well in their own journey through those challenges. It’s hard to speculate on those things. I mean, whichever part of the company I went with would have thrived, I think. Source RIP Matrix | Farewell my friend Hope you enjoyed this news post. Thank you for appreciating my time and effort posting news every single day for many years. 2023: Over 5,800 news posts | 2024 (till end of August): 3,792 news posts
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Bill Gates' "Internet Tidal Wave" memo 28 years ago today sounds like Microsoft's AI push
Karlston posted a news in Technology News
1995 was a true inflection point for the consumer use of the internet. Two years beforehand, the Mosaic web browser launched and quickly became a popular application. Companies and individuals started building web sites that offered all sorts of content online. That included a web directory that launched in early 1994 that was later renamed Yahoo. In late 1994, the even more popular Netscape browser launched. Suddenly, the internet was not something you accessed in a college computer room but anywhere a PC was present. In the middle of all this was Microsoft, which was planning to launch its huge Windows 95 OS update late in 1995. However, 28 years ago today, on May 26, 1995, Microsoft's employees suddenly got orders from its then-CEO Bill Gates to put all of the company's energies towards making products that use the internet. Gates' memo was titled simply The Internet Tidal Wave, and it remains one of the most famous business memos in history. Gates stated that a combination of factors, including the increased use of the PC, better internet infrastructure, and faster online networks, would help reduce the cost of internet connections for both businesses and consumers. Gates felt that those factors meant that the rise of the internet and its effects on the PC hardware and software industry would not just have a big impact on Microsoft, but perhaps the biggest impact on the company ever: I have gone through several stages of increasing my views of its importance. Now I assign the Internet the highest level of importance. In this memo I want to make clear that our focus on the Internet is crucial to every part of our business. The Internet is the most important single development to come along since the IBM PC was introduced in 1981. It is even more important than the arrival of the graphical user interface (GUI). Gates's memo made a lot of predictions that became true. He correctly said that "virtually every PC will be used to connect to the Internet and that the Internet will help keep PC purchasing very healthy for many years to come". He also predicted that faster broadband internet speeds would allow people to speak to each other via video chats. He also saw that the CD-ROM software business would be "dramatically affected by the Internet". At that time it was just starting to take over from the floppy disk as a way to distribute software. Indeed, it wouldn't be long before that industry would disappear. Ultimately Gates wrote that Microsoft's products, and the way it would distribute and support its software, would change drastically: The next few years are going to be very exciting as we tackle these challenges are opportunities. The Internet is a tidal wave. It changes the rules. It is an incredible opportunity as well as incredible challenge I am looking forward to your input on how we can improve our strategy to continue our track record of incredible success. Microsoft still made some mistakes during this transition period to use the internet. It had the opportunity to become the leading search provider, but it lost out to Google, which launched in early 1998. Apple saw the need for an internet-based store for music and video downloads that turned into iTunes. However, Microsoft managed to keep going with its internet-centric plans. It even managed to stay in business after a US federal judge ordered Microsoft to be broken up into two companies in 2000 for alleged anticompetitive activities. That never happened as Microsoft entered a settlement with the US government in 2001. 28 years later, Microsoft seems to have moved into another inflection point in its business, as it fully embraces what AI can do for search, operating systems, productivity software, and more. At Build 2023 this week, a large amount of its developer announcement centers on AI products, particularly its Windows Copilot AI assistant will launch later this year. Of course, just like it had when it put its emphasis on the internet in 1995, Microsoft will have competitors, particularly its biggest rival Google, in this new AI era. We should learn soon if Microsoft made the right move in embracing AI, as it did with with the "internet tidal wave". Bill Gates' "Internet Tidal Wave" memo 28 years ago today sounds like Microsoft's AI push-
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The co-founder of Microsoft, Bill Gates, said that AI could kill some of the tech giants like Google and Amazon. Gates believes that whichever company develops the first AI-powered personal assistant will dominate the industry. Artificial intelligence is here to simplify lives, and Gates believes that a personal agent will kill some of the biggest companies like Google, Amazon, and Shopify. According to Bill Gates, the leading artificial intelligence firm of the future will probably have developed a personal digital assistant that can carry out certain tasks on behalf of its users. "Whoever wins the personal agent, that's the big thing, because you will never go to a search site again, you will never go to a productivity site, you'll never go to Amazon again," he said during a Goldman Sachs and SV Angel event. Gates believes that his personal assistant will understand your routine or requirements, and it will also help you "read the stuff you don't have time to read." He also mentioned that the winner of the AI race in the future is still up in the air, and there is a 50-50 chance between startups and tech giants like Microsoft. On a side note, Gates said he would be "disappointed if Microsoft didn't come in there." Microsoft is currently investing billions of dollars in the artificial intelligence industry. The company relied on OpenAI's work and came to a partnership agreement with the company to lead the industry. Microsoft has already started implementing GPT-4 and ChatGPT in its products. MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook are all being integrated by Microsoft with ChatGPT. It gained an edge over Google, Yahoo, Firefox, and Opera when it included ChatGPT in its Bing search engine and Edge browser in February. Bill Gates There is still more time for an AI personal assistant The co-founder of Microsoft continued his work by saying that the AI personal assistant won't be out immediately, but it still needs more time. For now, companies will continue integrating generative AI technologies like OpenAI's well-liked ChatGPT into their own products. If Gates is right, we might see companies like Google and Amazon in different forms. However, it is known that regular Google searches cost way less compared to AI-powered searches, and it might take time to adapt to that change. Bill Gates: AI could kill Google and Amazon
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Aunty Mabel on Facebook thinks he is a Bond baddie (spoiler: he's not) Microsoft founder and philanthropist Bill Gates stuck an oar into tinfoil-hat-infested waters once again today with a pretty reasonable plan to deal with the ongoing global pandemic. In an opinion piece for Tortoise Media, His Billness laid out a three-part plan for eliminating the grim threat of coronavirus and, unsurprisingly, it all hinges on those pesky vaccines. Gates reckoned that likely more than one vaccine will be available by the early part of next year, but dealing with the pandemic would first require the capacity to make enough of the stuff, and then ensure a global reach for dosages. "Right now," he said, "most of the world's supply of COVID-19 vaccines is slated to go to rich countries." Those countries at the other end of the scale are not so lucky: "As things stand now, these countries will be able to cover, at most, 14 per cent of their people." Taking the ethics and morality of the situation aside, the result, according to Gates, is the virus continuing its rampage through large chunks of the world and wealthy nations risking reinfection because, after all, not everybody will leap at the chance of a needle stuffed full of special sauce. "The only way to eliminate the threat of this disease somewhere is to eliminate it everywhere," insisted Gates. "New modeling from Northeastern University helps illustrate what will happen if vaccine distribution is so unequal. The researchers there analyzed two scenarios. In one, vaccines are given to countries based on their population size. Then there’s another scenario that approximates what’s happening now: 50 rich countries get the first 2 billion doses of vaccine. In this scenario, the virus continues to spread unchecked for four months in three quarters of the world. And almost twice as many people die." "This would be a huge moral failing. A vaccine can make Covid-19 a preventable disease, and no one should die from a preventable disease simply because the country they live in can’t afford to secure a manufacturing deal," he added. As well as upping manufacturing capacity (and noting the unusual sight of pharmaceutical companies sharing facilities), Gates also called for more funding to pay for both the vaccines and infrastructure to get doses to patients. "There's a lot to be learned from the ongoing effort to eradicate polio," he said. And the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation knows a lot about polio. Gates has been forced in recent months to deny that his support for vaccine research is actually a cover for something altogether more nefarious. Lurking within the recent Windows XP source code leak were all manner of conspiracy videos, and social media posts concerning Gates' involvement in the spread of the virus have fanned the flames licking up those 5G (or, indeed, 4G) masts. When asked in a recent interview if he wanted to use vaccines to implant microchips into people, the billionaire responded simply: "No." Indeed, in terms of tracking people and controlling their moods, the social media giants are already way ahead of the game. Gates went on to point out that building the system to identify and eliminate COVID-19 regardless of a nation's wealth will also give the world a running start when the next pandemic rolls around. "The self-interested thing and the altruistic thing," he said, "are one and the same." Source
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