Dell Technologies World: Michael Dell Weighs in on Dangers of Generative AI

Dell Technologies World: Dell Technologies CEO Michael Dell (pictured above, speaking to attendees) has weighed in on generative AI. He lauded the technology’s ability to transform industries but said it must be managed responsibly to mitigate risk.

Dell was speaking at Dell Technologies World in Las Vegas on Monday.

“AI, just like the PC, the internet, the smartphone before it, will transform industries and the way we live and work,” he said.

However, he said the industry has to ensure confidential proprietary data is protected, and acknowledged the risks associated with AI. “There are dangers with these technologies that we have to manage thoughtfully and responsibly and make sure that these technologies reflect our human values.”

Despite this, Dell described himself as an optimist when it comes to AI. “There’s a lot of effort around the world to imagine what could go wrong. And while that’s important and needs to be done, we should also imagine what can go right. I think there’ll be way more that goes right than goes wrong, but we do have to protect against the dangers.

“I’m sure there will be regulation, and we’ll be involved in helping to shape that hopefully with our input. But for our own usage, we’re definitely thinking about how we use this in an ethical, responsible and safe way. There’s also a lens on who we’re selling these technologies to and not enabling the wrong kinds of activities or the wrong parties to get a hold of these technologies.”

New Architectures Needed for Generative AI

The CEO said that generative AI models get better as you add more data and add high processing power. He cited IDC data that estimates that by 2025, 88% of the servers used for AI workloads deployed at the edge will be used for inferencing.

“To support this, we’re going to need new architectures with orders of magnitude, higher speed, and efficiency. And we are ready with rugged compact and powerful servers designed for AI workloads for the edge and for telecom, and for your clouds and datacenters.”

The CEO added that AI workloads are the fastest growing part of Dell’s cloud and infrastructure business.