Microsoft Releases New AI Access Principles to Promote AI Innovation and Competition
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On February 27th, according to foreign media reports, Microsoft announced and released the "AI Access Principles" (AI Access Principles) at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona on Monday local time.
The guiding principles are a comprehensive framework for responsible and ethical AI development and deployment, which will guide the operation of its AI data center infrastructure and other AI assets globally, emphasizing Microsoft's determination to promote innovation and competition in the thriving AI field.
According to foreign media reports, Microsoft has made significant investments in AI data centers. Recently, the company announced a $5.6 billion investment in AI data centers in Europe.
Microsoft stated: "The principles we announced today commit Microsoft to larger investments, more business partnerships, and broader projects to promote innovation and competition, an unprecedented move in Microsoft's 49-year history. By releasing these principles, we are committed to providing the broad technical access needed to enable businesses and individuals worldwide to develop and use AI in ways that serve the public interest." Microsoft's principle is to prioritize providing developers with extensive cloud computing resources, AI infrastructure, cutting-edge tools, and services. This creates a dynamic environment where developers can freely choose the AI models, distribution channels, and cloud providers that best suit their projects.
Foreign media reports that the company's "AI Access Principles" were proposed against the backdrop of increasing regulatory scrutiny.
On January 25 this year, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) stated that it had issued orders to five companies—Alphabet, Amazon, Anthropic PBC, Microsoft, and OpenAI—requiring them to provide recent information on AI investments and partnerships. The FTC indicated that it would carefully examine these companies' partnerships and investments with AI providers to better understand these relationships and their impact on the competitive landscape.
It is reported that Microsoft has maintained a partnership with OpenAI and is its largest shareholder. Since 2019, Microsoft has invested $13 billion in OpenAI, acquiring a 49% stake in the company.
Microsoft's partnership with OpenAI has drawn attention from regulatory bodies, including the UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), the European Commission, and the FTC. Previously, reports indicated that the FTC was reviewing Microsoft's collaboration with OpenAI. In December 2023, an insider revealed that the investigation was still in its preliminary stages. Additionally, European competition regulators are currently evaluating whether this investment violates antitrust laws.