Brenda Marie Rivers
Brad Smith, president of Microsoft, said the government needs to establish a strategy for establishing alliances to ensure that the U.S. retains its technological edge and protects its defense interests, CNBC reported Saturday.
Smith told CNBC in an interview during the Reagan National Defense Forum in California that he expects artificial intelligence to emerge as a significant technology over the next three decades and the government must start increasing its investments into technological development, research and talent.
He also suggested that the government collaborate with “like-minded†countries on data-related initiatives to retain an edge over China in efforts to use data to rapidly accelerate AI development.
“There’s no way our nation can win this race if we’re not getting the best of what the tech sector has to offer,†he noted.
When asked about updates to the potential $10B Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure cloud contract awarded to Microsoft in October, Smith said the company is “moving even faster†on improving their offerings and providing support the Department of Defense.
