When the internet first burst onto the world stage in 1995, Microsoft Corp. co-founder Bill Gates said the internet would be like a “tidal wave” enveloping businesses with vital information, and now Satya Nadella, the tech company’s new leader, said the effect of artificial intelligence would be just as intense.

“The Bill [Gates] memo in 1995, it does feel like that to me,” Nadella said on this week’s episode of The Circuit With Emily Chang. “I think it’s as big.”

Already investing $13 billion in its generative AI technology, Microsoft is currently collaborating with OpenAI Inc. to ensure the tech giant stays relevant and intelligently incorporates AI into its technology.

“We have a great relationship,” OpenAI Chief Executive Officer Sam Altman shared on The Circuit.

“These big, major partnerships between tech companies usually don’t work. This is an example of it working really well. We’re super grateful for it.”

Despite both CEOs being mutually pleased with the partnership, the association has been met with cynicism from characters like Elon Musk, who co-founded OpenAI with Altman and left the company.

Musk alluded to the recent generous investment and said OpenAI is now “effectively controlled by Microsoft.”

To take back control of his company’s narrative and oppose what Musk has said, Altman said, “[The] company is not for sale. I don’t know how to be more clear than that.”

Besides staying relevant, Microsoft’s support of OpenAI was most likely provoked by the risk of Google leading in the AI space.

As it stands, Google did design the blueprint for OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Microsoft’s Bing chatbot, known as transformers.

According to Altman, this is a very different environment from when Microsoft’s web browser forced Netscape out of the market.

“This is not only a competitive environment, but I think this is probably the most competitive environment in tech right now,” he said.

Additionally, a spokesperson suggested that the leading tech firm would happily participate in a discussion with government officials to safeguard competition in AI.

At the end of the interview, Nadella warned that this is only the beginning of AI.

“We in the tech industry are classic experts at overhyping everything,” the Microsoft CEO said.

“What motivates me is I want to use this technology to truly do what I think at least all of us are in tech for, which is democratizing access to it.”