Suleyman identifies three areas where humanist superintelligence could have a transformative impact. The first is the personal AI companion, designed to assist people in their learning, productivity and well-being, without replacing human connection. The second is medical superintelligence, capable of delivering expert-level diagnostics and treatment, expanding global access to healthcare. And the third, clean and abundant energy, where AI would facilitate scientific discovery, resource optimization and development of sustainable generation technologies.
Pundits use the term to describe systems that appear to "think" independently of what humans program them to do, an ability that some previously described as "artificial general intelligence," or AGI. Suleyman announced he's heading up a new AI Superintelligence Team at Microsoft in a blog post Thursday. The key difference in Microsoft's vision, Suleyman said, is the vision of a humanist superintelligence, or HSI, that trades blind AI ambition for carefully planned limitations to make sure AI helps rather than harms us.