ChatGPT: Not Your Father’s Cortana

• Microsoft’s multi-billion-dollar investments in OpenAI signal the company’s intention to embed OpenAI’s artificial intelligence technologies broadly across its portfolio.
• Organizations should expect to see OpenAI-based features in nearly every application, automating business processes and enabling productivity increases—in some cases at extra charge.
• Despite the hype, however, organizations should be aware that these technologies remain early-stage, with numerous limitations and concerns, including possible legal exposure.

A new class of machine learning technologies, called “generative AI,” is the focus of recent Microsoft development and investment in the company OpenAI. Generative AI can create original content from simple user prompts. (See the illustration “What Is Generative AI?”) This capability can, for example, compose e-mails and documents on users’ behalf, respond to customer inquiries, summarize Teams conversations and Web pages, and even write code.