Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has revealed that Bill Gates initially advised him against investing in OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT. Speaking on the tech-focused YouTube show TPBN, Nadella said that securing board approval for the investment was not easy.

“Even at Microsoft, you have to get board approval to throw a billion dollars out there,” he said. “Remember, this was a nonprofit, and I think Bill even said, ‘Yeah, you’re going to burn this billion dollars,’” he added.

Despite the skepticism, Nadella pushed forward, believing in AI’s transformative potential. “It was not that hard to convince anyone that this is an important area and it’s going to be risky,” he said.

Microsoft’s investment in OpenAI

Microsoft made its first $1 billion investment in OpenAI in 2019 and has since p

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