Microsoft AI chief says superintelligence is near and jobs are not disappearing

In short: Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman says “superintelligence” is coming soon, but he argues it will mostly automate parts of jobs, not erase jobs outright.

What happened

In an interview on The Verge’s Decoder podcast, Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman said the company is now building more of its own advanced AI systems, even while it continues its partnership with OpenAI. He said a new contract signed in October lets Microsoft pursue “superintelligence” independently while still licensing OpenAI models.

Suleyman also addressed his earlier comment that many white-collar tasks could be automated within 12 to 18 months. He said the key word was “tasks,” meaning pieces of a job like writing emails or making slide decks, not entire roles disappearing overnight.

He also criticized the idea of treating AI chatbots as if they are alive or conscious. Suleyman said it is “dangerous” to describe AI this way because it encourages people to project feelings and rights onto tools that are meant to be controlled and accountable.

Finally, he drew lines between common terms. He said “AGI” means AI that can do most human tasks, “superintelligence” means AI that beats humans across many tasks and can discover new knowledge, and “the singularity” is a much later idea where an AI rapidly improves itself.

Why it matters

Many people worry AI will take their jobs or be treated like a person. Suleyman’s comments show how a major AI leader is trying to calm those fears, while also confirming that companies like Microsoft are investing heavily in more powerful AI that could change how everyday work gets done.

Source: The Verge AI