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OPINION 12 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 5 JULY 2023 MICROSOFT and Google have recently made big investments in two of the most valuable com- panies in artificial intelligence (AI). OpenAI, which developed ChatGPT, has received a stag- gering investment of US$10 bil- lion (£7.8 billion) from Micro- soft, while Google has invested US$300 million in Anthropic. The companies' financial support for AI has pushed an ongoing rivalry in to the pub- lic spotlight. Google's struggle for dominance with Microsoft is increasingly at the forefront of discussions about AI's future success. Google has made enormous contributions to the field of AI development, including the invention of transform- ers – a particular form of ma- chine learning, where an algo- rithm improves at tasks as it is "trained" on data – the ad- vancement of techniques for automating the translation of languages and the acquisition of AI company DeepMind. Although Google has consist- ently positioned itself at the forefront of AI development, a significant milestone was reached with the introduction of ChatGPT. California-based company OpenAI released ChatGPT in November 2022 and a more advanced version, GPT-4, was unveiled in Febru- ary 2023. The arrival of ChatGPT sparked widespread discussion about artificial general intelli- gence (AGI) – where machines surpass human intellect. This was also the focus of warnings by Geoffrey Hinton, an influ- ential figure in AI, who gave several interviews outlining his concerns about the technolo- gy after resigning from Google earlier this year. Consequently, the number of research papers focusing on large language models (LLMs) – the type of AI technology ChatGPT is based on – surged. Other AI research areas, such as dialogue systems and infor- mation retrieval, stand to lose out. Amid this rapid technological disruption, it seems that Goog- le fears losing its technological edge and market dominance. Contradictory position? This concern is not unwar- ranted. ChatGPT, made by a di- rect competitor, has made use of Google's pioneering internet search techniques to generate significant profit. Furthermore, the flow of talent from Goog- le to OpenAI – along with the latter's rapid growth – has be- come a worrying trend for the search giant. When OpenAI was founded, one of its principles was mak- ing software that was "open source", where software is pub- licly available, allowing devel- opers to share and modify it. Google, meanwhile, has main- tained a relatively consistent commercial approach regard- ing its plans and ambitions. However, OpenAI's recent shift towards commercialism and closed-source practices seems to contradict its original corporate philosophy. Some industry insiders have criticised OpenAI for its some- what contradictory posture. While it presents itself as a champion of open-source AI, it is undeniably a commercial entity, a fact it does not readily admit. This tension between Ope- nAI's public image and busi- ness realities has made the ri- valry with Google even more intriguing. One likely outcome of this competition is the continued evolution and refinement of AI technology, spurred by the need to stay ahead in the mar- ket. Google's techniques, once exploited by OpenAI for com- mercial gain, will probably un- dergo further innovation. This evolution will not only enhance the functionality of AI applications, but also greatly improve user experiences. Yusuf Mehdi, corporate vice president at Microsoft, recent- ly indicated that the compa- ny didn't feel it necessary to overhaul the search landscape, as even a single point increase in market share represented a US$2 billion hike in value This strategic downsizing of their ambitions could be an attempt to lessen competitive pressures in the tech industry. Stronger scrutiny It's worth noting that Micro- soft's association with Ope- nAI adds another layer to this complex rivalry. Google has also shown a willingness to in- vest in external AI projects to extend its influence. For instance, the company's investment in Anthropic, an AI research company, reflects Google's strategy to maintain its technological lead through strategic partnerships. One concern that resonates with many people, including me, is the potential for mis- information, disinformation and distortion created by ChatGPT. With over 200 million users, it serves around 2.53% of the global population. Widespread disinformation on social media has signifi- cantly eroded trust in online content and reportedly influ- enced the 2016 US presiden- tial election. With such a vast user base for ChatGPT, it is conceivable that tech companies could ma- nipulate conversations, subtly swaying users' preferences and decisions in numerous ways. Therefore, the need for strong- er scrutiny and regulation of these large language models is becoming increasingly urgent. Despite the growing compe- tition over AI, Google remains a respected entity in the global tech industry. The AI rivalry between Google and Microsoft has driven both companies to push the boundaries of this technology, promising excit- ing advancements in the years to come. The various strategies em- ployed in this competition, from talent acquisition to stra- tegic investments, reflect the significance of the stakes in the AI landscape. Specifically, acquiring top talent allows these companies to advance their AI capabili- ties, giving them a competitive edge. Strategic investments, on the other hand, allow for diversifi- cation and expansion into new AI applications and sectors, increasing their influence and market share in the AI field. These actions underscore the high value and potential of AI technology in shaping our fu- ture. Microsoft and Google rivalry could supercharge development of AI Yali Du Yali Du is Lecturer in Artificial Intelligence, King's College London