Microsoft has recruited Mustafa Suleyman and Karén Simonyan, who co-founded the renowned AI startup Inflection AI, along with several of their colleagues, in a notable move as the tech giant led by Satya Nadella continues its vigorous efforts to attract top talent.
Suleyman, a co-founder of DeepMind acquired by Google in 2014 to bolster its AI endeavors, will oversee Microsoft’s newly established consumer AI unit, named Microsoft AI. Simonyan joins the company as the chief scientist within the same division. Suleyman, holding the title of EVP and CEO of Microsoft AI, will report directly to CEO Nadella.
During an event scheduled for Thursday, Microsoft is anticipated to showcase its latest AI advancements for consumers, particularly in Microsoft Copilot, Windows, and Surface.
Inflection AI has a history with Microsoft, as the tech giant led a significant $1.3 billion funding round in the startup less than a year ago. As he mentioned in a tweet, Suleyman will also lead AI products and research for Copilot, Bing, and Edge.
Nadella expressed in a blog post that several members of the Inflection team have opted to join Suleyman and Simonyan at Microsoft, highlighting their expertise and contributions to advancing AI over the past years.
Inflection AI, founded in 2022 by LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman and Suleyman, has been a prominent player in the AI startup scene, focusing on developing AI systems capable of engaging in open-ended dialogue and assisting with various tasks.
As a part of the transition, Inflection AI will pivot its focus to the AI studio business, specializing in constructing and evaluating customer-generated AI models.
Microsoft’s commitment to AI innovation is evident, with Nadella emphasizing the importance of expanding capabilities and capacity to drive bold innovation in the ever-evolving AI landscape.
