On 23 January 2023, Microsoft announced the third phase of its partnership with OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT, describing it as a multi-year, multibillion-dollar investment. Press reports put the figure at around ten billion US dollars. Microsoft said it would build OpenAI technology into products such as its Azure cloud services, its Office applications and the Bing search engine.
Why it matters
Training large AI models needs enormous computing power: thousands of specialised chips running for weeks. Few organisations can pay for that, so partnerships between research labs and large cloud companies became common. Competitors, including Google, Meta and a growing number of start-ups, responded with their own models.
What changes for ordinary users
- AI inside everyday software. Writing assistants, spreadsheet helpers and meeting summaries start to appear in tools people already use.
- Faster change. Competition means new features arrive monthly, so skills need refreshing.
- New questions about cost and access. Powerful AI depends on cloud services and reliable internet, which not everyone has. Nigerian schools and businesses should plan for that.
What to do
You do not need to buy anything. Start by trying the free versions, learn what they do well and badly, and write down which of your regular tasks they could save time on.