What’s going on:   Â
Tech giants Meta and Microsoft have announced a new partnership to assist in the development of Meta’s new artificial intelligence (AI) software, Llama 2, according to The Wall Street Journal. Meta’s new AI language model will be available for free for commercial use, and available to software developers working on Microsoft’s Azure cloud-computing platform. Â
Microsoft also revealed plans to charge businesses $30 per month per person for access to an AI-powered assistant for its popular workplace software, Microsoft 365. Microsoft’s Copilot, which is an AI program powered by OpenAI’s technology, can perform tasks like summarizing emails and analyzing sales data in Excel spreadsheets. Â
Why it matters:Â Â Â Â
The collaboration between Meta and Microsoft is another big step in the rapid development of AI technology. The introduction of AI tools into everyday productivity software has the potential to completely change the way people do work, making tasks more efficient and streamlined. Â
How it’ll impact the future:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â
The widespread integration of AI into commonly used software platforms like, Microsoft365, could reshape entire industries — with AI taking over routine and mundane tasks, thereby freeing up employees to focus on more complex and creative aspects of their jobs. However, the pricing strategy adopted by Microsoft shows that the adoption of these advanced tools may come at a subscription cost for businesses. The cost implications could potentially widen the digital divide, with only those companies able to afford such tools reaping the benefits.Â
The demand for roles involving AI management and oversight will likely increase. This could lead to a shift in the labor market, with a greater emphasis on tech skills. This could influence the creation of new training and skills development to ensure workers can effectively use these tools successfully. However, there are still major concerns about job displacement as AI software continues to be distributed and advanced.
