Bill Gates has reportedly never left Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT).
According to Business Insider, in 2017, the co-founder of the world’s largest company, foreseeing the significant impact of AI on the future, shared a memo with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and other executives.
In the memo, Gates envisioned "AI agents" that would be more advanced than existing digital assistants like Siri and Alexa, predicting a major shift in how consumers interact with computers and softwares.
"Agents are not only going to change how everyone interacts with computers," Gates reportedly wrote. "They're also going to upend the software industry, bringing about the biggest revolution in computing since we went from typing commands to tapping on icons."
At the time, this idea seemed too futuristic to many within the company, especially considering Microsoft's past struggles with digital assistants like Clippy and Tay.
But Gates's foresight is evident today with the introduction of Copilot, an AI tool within Microsoft's products, powered by a version of OpenAI's GPT model.
"Copilot now sounds exactly like what he wrote," a Microsoft executive commented.
Despite stepping back publicly from Microsoft in 2021 after allegations of inappropriate behavior toward female employees, Gates has continued to influence the company's strategic direction, particularly in AI, through behind-the-scenes engagements.
Per the report, he has maintained a significant advisory role, helping shape the company’s AI strategies and product reviews.
Gates’s involvement was crucial when Microsoft introduced a new version of Bing powered by ChatGPT technology in early 2023, which was seen as a strategic move against Google (NASDAQ:GOOGL).
Although Nadella has been Microsoft’s visible leader that many believe is most responsible for the company’s recent success, “Gates has been the man behind the curtain,” Business Insider reports.
"What you read is not what's happening in reality," another Microsoft reportedly said. "Satya and the entire senior leadership team lean on Gates very significantly. His opinion is sought every time we make a major change."
Gates has also been instrumental in fostering Microsoft's relationship with OpenAI, starting with facilitating the partnership between the two companies.
This relationship began even before the formal partnership in 2018, initiated by a meeting arranged by Microsoft's CTO Kevin Scott with Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI.
According to BI, Gates has been engaging with OpenAI since 2016.
In 2022, Gates allegedly challenged Altman and OpenAI to test the model's capabilities with an Advanced Placement biology exam.
The 68-year-old reportedly didn’t think that the model would succeed. However, he was proven wrong, with the model acing the exam. Gates called it "the most stunning demo I've ever seen in my life."
Today, insiders reportedly said that Gates continues to be a key figure, whose role extends far beyond OpenAI. Notably, the company’s top executives meet regularly with the former CEO to review products. In addition, he’s also involved in recruiting and retaining key executives for the company, the report said.