Xavier Perret, Director of Microsoft Azure France at the Adopt AI Summit – AI is not creative, you are!

Xavier Perret emphasized the transformative potential of AI, especially how it enhances human creativity. His speech highlighted key aspects such as the capabilities of new AI models, practical applications, the necessity of robust infrastructure, and the importance of responsible AI usage.

“AI is not creative; you are. Our role as a technological provider is to enable you to be creative by providing the tools and infrastructure. Ultimately, it is human creativity that drives innovation.”

Xavier Perret, Director of Microsoft Azure France

Perret began by discussing the three fundamental capabilities of modern AI models: the new universal interface, the ability to remember and contextualize data, and advanced reasoning and planning. These capabilities enable users to interact with AI in more intuitive and productive ways. He demonstrated this through examples like generating text and insights from a simple video, showing AI’s multimodal capabilities.

Perret showcased various real-world applications of AI developed by Microsoft and its partners. These included Clarins’ digital assistant for website navigation, a GM Copilot embedded in WhatsApp for trip planning, and a voice bot for insurance subscriptions. These examples illustrated how AI can be integrated into different sectors to enhance user experiences and streamline operations.

A significant portion of Perret’s keynote focused on the critical infrastructure required to support advanced AI applications. He highlighted Microsoft’s efforts in deploying AI models globally, with 10 regions equipped to handle OpenAI models, making it the fastest deployment of a single service in Azure’s history. This infrastructure includes specialized chipsets and supercomputers designed to optimize AI performance.

Perret discussed Microsoft’s substantial investments in AI, particularly in France, where the company has allocated $4 billion. This investment aims to expand infrastructure, develop AI skills, and support startups through initiatives like the GenAI Startup Program. These efforts are intended to reduce costs and improve performance, enabling broader access to AI technologies.

Perret introduced various AI models, including smaller, cost-effective models trained on specific data subsets. These models, while not as powerful as GPT-4, offer significant performance benefits and can be deployed directly on mobile devices, making AI more accessible and environmentally sustainable.

To ensure optimal user experience, Microsoft has developed innovative solutions to manage AI’s computational demands. Perret explained the “flywheel” project, which maintains consistent throughput for AI tasks, preventing degradation in performance. This approach ensures that user interactions with AI remain seamless and efficient.

Perret underscored the importance of responsible AI usage, highlighting Microsoft’s comprehensive framework for AI safety. This framework addresses issues such as hallucinations, prompt injection attacks, and harmful content. Tools like Content Safety and Prompt Shield are designed to detect and prevent these risks, ensuring that AI systems operate securely and ethically.

Microsoft’s role is to provide the technological platform and infrastructure that enable users to harness AI effectively and responsibly. Through continued investment and innovation, Microsoft aims to support the creative potential of individuals and organizations worldwide.