False report claims Microsoft will 'disable computers' if users share 'non-mainstream content'
Nadella discussed how to reduce “unintended consequences” of AI, including misinformation
(AP) - A screenshot of an article titled: “Microsoft To Disable Computers of Users Who Share ‘Non-Mainstream Content’ Online" shared by social media users is baseless.
CLAIM: Microsoft plans to “disable computers of users who share ‘non-mainstream content’ online.”
AP’S ASSESSMENT: False. An article by a website known to publish erroneous content misrepresented an interview with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella on NBC about artificial intelligence. Nadella discussed how to reduce “unintended consequences” of AI, including misinformation, but made no mention of disabling computers.
THE FACTS: Social media users are sharing a screenshot of a baseless article titled: “Microsoft To Disable Computers of Users Who Share ‘Non-Mainstream Content’ Online.”
One post on X, formerly Twitter, that shared the screenshot alleged, as the article does, that the supposed decision is part of a plan to “combat so-called ‘misinformation’ in the run-up to the 2024 election.” It had received approximately 11,000 likes and 8,700 shares as of Tuesday.
But the article provides no evidence that supports its claim. It comes from a website called The People’s Voice, previously known as NewsPunch, which has published numerous stories based on fabricated information.
As supposed proof of Microsoft’s plan, the People’s Voice story includes a clip from an interview Nadella gave to “NBC Nightly News” Anchor Lester Holt at the end of January in which he talks about how to address the “unintended consequences” of AI, such as misinformation, while also amplifying its benefits.
At no point in the interview does Nadella say that Microsoft is going to disable anyone’s computer for sharing “non-mainstream content” or any other reason.
“This is not the first election where we dealt with disinformation or propaganda campaigns by adversaries and election interference,” Nadella says in the clip, after Holt asks about how AI could impact the 2024 race. “I think we are doing all the work across the tech industry around watermarking, detecting deepfakes, and content IDs.”
Nadella adds that there is going to be enough technology “to be able to identify the issues around disinformation and misinformation” and that the question comes down to how to build a consensus about what is acceptable and what is not when it comes to AI technology.
The People’s Voice also links to an article about Nadella’s interview on another website, which states that the CEO’s response to Holt’s question “seemed to imply a willingness to use technology for censoring content in pursuit of fighting what he identified as disinformation.” This story does not claim that Microsoft will be disabling computers as part of such an effort.
Neither Microsoft nor The People’s Voice responded to a request for comment.
