Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella Talks Cricket, AI & Mixed Reality

The Microsoft CEO was visiting the country to promote his book ‘Hit Refresh’.

Satya Nadella, the India-born CEO of global tech giant Microsoft, today said mixed reality, artificial intelligence and quantum computing are three path-breaking technologies that will "shape" the world in coming years.

In a freewheeling conversation with former cricketer Anil Kumble, Nadella spoke about matters close to his heart — his family, cricket, and the potential that new-age technologies hold for organisations and the society at large.

rosoft’s core business is about meeting the unmet and unarticulated needs of the customers. There is no way we can succeed in life if we don’t have empathy. I have come to realise that empathy needs to be developed and it is not a destinat

Satya Nadella, CEO, Microsoft

Nadella is in Delhi, as part of a two-day visit to India to promote his book Hit Refresh. The 50-year-old CEO was in Hyderabad yesterday visiting the company's campus.

Stating that the computing history has so far been about enhancing the man-machine interface, Nadella articulated that ultimate computing experience will be "mixed reality" that blends the real and the virtual world.

The three technologies are Mixed Reality, Artificial Intelligence and Quantum Computing. The man-machine interface – from graphics to touchscreen and now speech – has made technology more natural and intuitive.

Satya Nadella, CEO, Microsoft

Nadella also cited examples of how the company's 'HoloLens' is being used across sectors like education.

HoloLens is a holographic computer designed by the Redmond-based company that allows users to interact with digital content to get an immersive experience.

Recounting his own experience, Kumble said that he had tried the HoloLens and "walked on Mars and it felt great".

He added that while people wrote that some company would "kill" Microsoft, it hasn't happened because the US-based company "must be doing something right to stay relevant, to continue to question the status quo."

Another defining technology, albeit with a longer term horizon, is quantum computing that will allow people to deal with harder challenges of computation, Nadella said.

Earlier in the day, Microsoft also showcased 'Ruuh' a chatbot that uses AI to engage with users. It has already been deployed on Skype and Facebook. Launched about nine months ago, 'Ruuh' has already had over 17 million conversations.

Ruuh was inspired by a similar chatbot by the company in China.

We decided to bring this to India. It turns out that something that is good in one country and bringing it into another country which is conversational is very different and challenging... So we said let’s build an Indian social bot and we named it Ruuh

Satya Nadella, CEO, Microsoft

(With inputs from PTI)

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