Microsoft’s AI plan: Let OpenAI take the risks

Analysis Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman has extolled the virtues of playing second fiddle in the generative-AI race.

In a TV news interview last week, Suleyman argued it’s more cost-effective to trail frontier model builders, including OpenAI that has taken billions from the Windows giant, by three to six months and build on their successes than to compete with them directly.

Our strategy is to play a very tight second, given the capital intensiveness of these models

“Our strategy is…