Microsoft hires DeepMind cofounder Mustafa Suleyman to lead new consumer AI team

Microsoft has appointed Mustafa Suleyman, co-founder of DeepMind, as the leader of its consumer AI division in a major move that may speed up the development of AI products.

This marks the first time the tech giant has a dedicated leader overseeing this critical area. Suleyman joins Microsoft from rival Inflection AI, where he served in a leadership role.

As executive vice president and CEO of the newly formed Microsoft AI division, Suleyman will spearhead the advancement of the Copilot assistant, aiming to position Microsoft as a formidable competitor against Silicon Valley’s Big Five, particularly Google, in the realm of artificial intelligence.

Accompanying Suleyman in this venture is Karén Simonyan, another co-founder of Inflection AI, who assumes the role of chief scientist within the division. Both Suleyman and Simonyan will report directly to Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, highlighting the strategic importance of their leadership in driving Microsoft’s AI initiatives forward.

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The rollout of Microsoft’s Copilot assistant has been described as “messy,” with challenges such as limited market share gains against Google’s search dominance and concerns raised about the safety of AI tools like Copilot. Despite these hurdles, Microsoft remains committed to its partnership with OpenAI, which provides foundational AI models for Copilot.

Suleyman’s transition to Microsoft comes with the integration of several key members from Inflection AI into the company’s AI division, underscoring Microsoft’s commitment to bolstering its talent pool in AI engineering and research. Nadella emphasized the importance of this partnership, affirming Microsoft’s dedication to advancing AI innovation in collaboration with OpenAI.

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This announcement coincides with Microsoft’s upcoming Surface event-themed “New Era of Work,” where the company is expected to showcase advancements in AI integration across its products and services, including Copilot, Windows, and Surface. As Microsoft continues to prioritize AI development, Suleyman’s leadership is poised to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of consumer AI technologies within the company.

(With inputs from agencies)