Four-day weeks and Nadella's AGI skepticism

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(Image credit: Future)

March is very nearly at an end and it’s been quite a month for diverging views in the industry.

Satya Nadella, CEO at Microsoft, has spoken out against the tech sector’s apparent fixation on achieving AGI while comparing the potential for AI to the rise of Excel spreadsheets in business. The Microsoft chief has turned his attention to the material benefits of AI, as we enter a crunch year for AI developers.

Elsewhere this month, UK tech firms are being offered support with adopting a four-day week, which could have major benefits for staff and a major security blogger has fallen victim to a classic cyber attack.

In this episode, Jane and Rory welcome back Ross Kelly, ITPro’s news and analysis editor, to discuss some of the most noteworthy news from across the month.

Highlights

“I think it's around tempering expectations, but not in a way that this isn't actually going to deliver some benefits for customers. He compared the developments in AI right now to the emergence of Excel.”

“There is only so much that we can do to protect ourselves against phishing. You can be aware. You can follow best practice. You can do any training that your employer lays out, implement two factor authentication, all these kinds of things, but ultimately, it just takes one little thing to happen, and you could be a victim as well.”

“There's fifth day stoppage, so you don't work Mondays, or you don't work Fridays. There are also models in which specific people work certain days, so that could just be a matter of saying, ‘Okay, every other person in the company just works alternating days’ or you could split it up by group.”

Footnotes

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Rory Bathgate
Features and Multimedia Editor

Rory Bathgate is Features and Multimedia Editor at ITPro, overseeing all in-depth content and case studies. He can also be found co-hosting the ITPro Podcast with Jane McCallion, swapping a keyboard for a microphone to discuss the latest learnings with thought leaders from across the tech sector.

In his free time, Rory enjoys photography, video editing, and good science fiction. After graduating from the University of Kent with a BA in English and American Literature, Rory undertook an MA in Eighteenth-Century Studies at King’s College London. He joined ITPro in 2022 as a graduate, following four years in student journalism. You can contact Rory at rory.bathgate@futurenet.com or on LinkedIn.