The pace of innovation in tech has accelerated from years to months thanks to AI, Microsoft chief privacy officer says

• Microsoft’s chief privacy officer and corporate vice president of global privacy and regulatory affairs, Julie Brill, says AI has accelerated the pace of innovation. Before joining Microsoft, Brill held several prominent roles in public service, including at the U.S. Federal Trade Commission.

During her time as a commissioner of the Federal Trade Commission, Microsoft’s chief privacy officer Julie Brill was at the forefront of several major technological advances—but she’s never seen anything quite like AI.

“We used to see a lot of technological advances, and we felt like we were always behind,” Brill told the audience at the Fortune Most Powerful Women Summit in Riyadh. “Now the pace of innovation has just accelerated. What used to take years to get out now takes months.”

Ever since the launch of ChatGPT in late 2022, tech companies have been engaged in a so-called AI arms race. Companies, including Microsoft, have been working overtime to get increasingly advanced AI products to market before rivals.

The unprecedented speed at which AI companies are rolling out improved models has made things tricky for regulators.

“Regulators are trying to keep up and doing…not a bad job, in my view,” Brill said. “And what we’re seeing in companies is…a real desire to be ahead, to be leaders, and also to make sure that it is safe and trusted, and that is a big job right now.”

Regulators have been trying to keep pace with tech companies’ advancements, but this has become somewhat of a moving target as technology improves. For example, the EU’s AI Act, the most significant piece of global legislation, has been criticized for its potential impact on innovation.

Brill said some of the rush to regulate AI was due to governments feeling like they had “missed the boat on social media.” However, she also said lawmakers needed to take a step back and ensure that regulation did not conflict with innovation.

“I think there’s now a recognition that there’s a need to take an examination, really take a step back…make sure that these laws can be implemented by companies across the spectrum,” she said. “We want to enable startups. We want to enable innovation.”

Brill served as a commissioner at the Federal Trade Commission from April 6, 2010, to March 31, 2016. During her tenure, she was recognized as the commission’s most influential voice on internet privacy and data security. In her current role, Brill leads Microsoft’s efforts in privacy, digital safety, responsible AI, and regulatory affairs. 

This story was originally featured on Fortune.com