Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella sharply criticized the current concentration of AI power in an interview with The Wall Street Journal overnight between Sunday and Monday. He warned that a small group of companies, led by OpenAI and Anthropic, should not be allowed to "eat the economy" and shape the future of technology without oversight.
Nadella's comments targeted the leadership style of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei. He said they use "doomsday narratives" about safety risks and mass job losses to demand unlimited resources for data centers. He added, "The public will not tolerate a situation where only a few companies do all the learning for the world," arguing that the race must shift toward cheaper, more democratic models.
The remarks come as Microsoft takes a surprising strategic turn because it has lagged somewhat in building its own models. The company has begun rolling out lower-cost models and is considering hosting DeepSeek, the low-cost Chinese AI provider that rivals accuse of copying. Microsoft says the goal is to break the monopoly of expensive models and let users choose the technology they need without huge computing bills.
Nadella also pushed back against Anthropic's bleak forecasts, including claims that AI could erase half of entry-level jobs by 2029. Instead of using AI mainly to cut costs through layoffs, he urged executives to think about "reorganizing jobs." His vision pairs "human capital" with "token capital" so AI supports workers rather than replacing them, and he said companies must earn the public's "social license" through actions that create economic opportunity for all market participants.
