The future of AI isn’t just what it knows; it’s how it makes us feel: Mustafa Suleyman (CEO, Microsoft AI)

Persistent memory in AI is a game-changer

Artificial intelligence is a “new digital species,” says Mustafa Suleyman, Microsoft AI’s CEO.

Mustafa and Reid Hoffman discuss the risks and rewards of AI, and Mustafa explains why AI will change our experience of memory. Plus, why he thinks now is a great time to found and scale native-AI companies - and importantly, the value of smaller models.

Key one-liners from their conversation

• The future of AI isn’t just what it knows; it’s how it makes us feel

• Every AI interaction is a chance to explore the best of humanity—or the worst.

• Designing for EQ in AI means bridging the gap between accuracy and empathy.

• In the age of AI, lowering the barrier to action raises the potential for creativity.

• Creativity in AI isn’t a glitch; it’s the spark of something new.

Here are the 5 big ideas from their discussion.

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AI as a New Digital Species

The concept of AI as a "digital species" challenges traditional metaphors by positioning AI as a potential evolutionary step in technology.

This idea frames AI as an entity capable of seeing, hearing, interacting, and even acting independently, bringing it closer to a "species" with unique capabilities rather than a mere tool. Thinking of AI in this way raises questions about containment, autonomy, and control, guiding the global conversation on how to responsibly develop and manage AI in the future.

Creativity Over Accuracy: The Value of AI’s Hallucinations

AI's so-called "hallucinations" aren't just errors—they are glimpses into the machine’s creativity. While traditional software focuses on accuracy, AI's flexibility in interpretation offers something more dynamic, akin to imagination.