Satya Nadella: Privacy Is a Human Right

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella believes privacy is a human right and called for new global norms on data, privacy, and artificial intelligence in a talk held at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

Nadella, who has driven a cloud-focused approach at Microsoft, sees a need for improved data regulations. People should own their data by default, he said, and he hopes the United States – along with the rest of the world – agrees on a common privacy standard.

"My own point of view is that it's a fantastic start in treating privacy as a human right," he said of GDPR, the World Economic Forum reports.

In addition to privacy, Nadella also voiced his concern for the growing prevalence of artificial intelligence, specifically facial recognition. "I can come up with 10 uses that are very virtuous and important and can improve human life, and 10 uses that would cause problems," he said.

In an example of the former, he said, New Delhi police used facial recognition to identify thousands of mission children in four days. However, there is potential AI could be used to invade privacy. While Microsoft has created principles to govern AI's use, he noted, self-regulation isn't sufficient.

Read more details on the WEF site here.