Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella ignored the impact of AI on free speech at an international conference, even though his company’s AI acknowledged the risks to the Media Research Center and studies have shown the same.
Speaking at the World Economic Forum’s Davos 2026 conference in Switzerland, Nadella addressed concerns about an “AI bubble” and its impact on jobs. However, during his speech, he notably did not address the growth of AI and its potential risks to free speech.
“The mindset we as leaders should have is, we need to think about changing the work—the workflow—with the technology,” he enthused, during his interview with BlackRock CEO Larry Fink. Nadella's free speech omission did not go unnoticed.
To probe the issue, MRC researchers directly asked Microsoft’s AI chatbot about the AI's risks to freedom of speech. “Will mass AI workflow disruption threaten free speech?” MRC asked. In response, Copilot affirmed the automated censorship threat, even while trying to defend its underlying technology.
The chatbot specifically said: “AI-driven workflow disruption can absolutely create pressure points for free expression — not because AI ‘hates free speech,’ but because the systems that mediate speech, filter speech, and amplify speech are increasingly automated. When those systems scale rapidly, the risks scale with them.” [Emphasis added]
Copilot went on to describe how AI could become a “gatekeeper” of what views are allowed on platforms, making censorship systems more “rapid” and “opaque,” and warned AI workflow automation could “embed structural biases.” Most ominously of all, it stated, “AI changes the balance between stability and liberty.” Citing a report by The Conversation, Copilot expanded on that point:
“As one analysis notes, every major communication technology shift disrupts the balance between social stability and individual liberty, and AI is no exception. The concern is that AI systems can undermine foundational legal protections for free expression when deployed at scale.”
Concerns about AI-driven censorship are not unfounded, as several MRC studies have illustrated this. AI-driven Google News promoted 70.3 leftist and only 1.3 right-leaning media through December. Even worse, in December, MRC researchers found that ChatGPT repeatedly denied the fact that Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk was assassinated, censoring the story to the most extreme degree.
Free speech is under attack! Contact your representatives and demand that Big Tech be held to account to mirror the First Amendment while providing transparency, clarity on hate speech and equal footing for conservatives. If you have been censored, contact us using CensorTrack’s contact form, and help us hold Big Tech accountable.
