Microsoft strikes partnership with Elon Musk’s Grok chatbot — despite lawsuit over OpenAI

Elon Musk is successful a ineligible conflict pinch Microsoft but made a friends virtual quality astatine nan package giant’s yearly exertion showcase to uncover that his Grok artificial intelligence chatbot will now beryllium hosted connected Microsoft’s information centers.

“It’s awesome to person you astatine our developer conference,” Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said to Musk successful a pre-recorded video speech broadcast Monday astatine Microsoft’s Build convention successful Seattle.

Musk past twelvemonth sued Microsoft and its adjacent business partner OpenAI successful a conflict complete Musk’s foundational contributions to OpenAI, which Musk helped start. Musk now runs his ain AI company, xAI, shaper of Grok, a competitor to OpenAI’s ChatGPT.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman besides said pinch Nadella via unrecorded video telephone earlier astatine Monday’s conference.

Musk’s woody intends that nan latest versions of xAI’s Grok models will beryllium hosted connected Microsoft’s Azure unreality computing platform, alongside competing models from OpenAI and different companies, including Facebook genitor Meta Platforms, Europe-based AI startups Mistral and Black Forest Labs and Chinese institution DeepSeek.

The Grok business comes conscionable days aft xAI had to hole nan chatbot to extremity it from repeatedly bringing up South African group authorities and nan taxable of “white genocide” successful nationalist interactions pinch users of Musk’s societal media level X. The institution blamed an employee’s “unauthorized modification” for nan unsolicited commentary, which mirrored South Africa-born Musk’s ain attraction connected nan topic.

Musk didn’t reside past week’s contention successful his chat pinch Nadella but described honesty arsenic nan “best policy” for AI safety.

“We person and will make mistakes, but we aspire to correct them very quickly,” Musk said.

Nadella was interrupted by protestation complete Gaza

Monday’s Build convention besides became nan latest Microsoft arena to beryllium interrupted by a protestation complete nan company’s activity pinch nan Israeli government. Microsoft has antecedently fired labor who protested institution events, including the company’s 50th day party in April.

“Satya, really astir you show really Microsoft is sidesplitting Palestinians?” a protester shouted successful nan first minutes of Nadella’s introductory talk. “How astir you show really Israeli warfare crimes are powered by Azure?”

Nadella continued his position arsenic nan protesters were escorted out. Microsoft acknowledged past week that it provided AI services to nan Israeli subject for nan warfare successful Gaza but said it has recovered nary grounds to day that its Azure level and AI technologies were utilized to target aliases harm group successful Gaza.