AI's Impact on Industries:
Microsoft Asia President Ahmed Mazhari Shares on the Path Forward

05 March 2024 – “The possibilities of AI are immense. My advice to business leaders, CEOs, and custodians of business is that you better get started,” Ahmed Mazhari, President of Microsoft Asia, said at Makati Business Club’s first general membership meeting of the year. 

Mazhari shared that he believes AI will continue to evolve. He hopes that the public and private sector continues to work together to regulate for innovation rather than to restrain it. “We as a company are at the forefront of regulation. This year alone, 65 countries are hitting the polls for elections. We are working on creating the right watermarks. We are determining a way for tech companies to share their knowledge and experience on this and that will be our focus,” Mazhari said.

“The biggest shift Satya Nadella has made as CEO is being strategically focused and having a growth mindset,“ Mazhari said. ”It’s the growth mindset that keeps us very agile. It’s about learning every day and waking up to learn more. He encourages leaders to do and think differently.”

When asked how he is able to “accelerate the clock” of the company, Mazhari shared how despite feeling like he aged in the last 18 months, his intellectual metabolism is higher from the excitement of all the possibilities AI has to offer. “We partnered with the Bill Gates Foundation to transform the ultrasound machine into an AI ultrasound machine. 

Mazhari believes the Philippines can be the hub of creating AI software capabilities in the region because of our great population base of young, talented people. “This could be a great supplement to the great outsourcing industry that the country runs,” Mazhari said.

When asked where he sees Microsoft in the next 10 years, Mazhari said he would like to see a world where the company provides technologies that create more inclusive growth, education, healthcare, and careers. “From a financial standpoint, we expect tech to be about 10% of global GDP from what it is currently at 5%. In the next decade or so, we will see continued investment there,” Mazhari said.

MBC’s “Global Leaders” series aims for Philippine executives to meet and learn from world leaders in business, technology, and other fields. The series is the pilot initiative of the Global Ideas Committee, chaired by Ambe Tierro of Accenture Philippines.