In a bold move to bolster its artificial intelligence capabilities, Microsoft has hired Mustafa Suleyman, co-founder of Google’s DeepMind, to oversee the company’s consumer AI initiatives. Suleyman will report directly to CEO Satya Nadella and lead efforts to integrate AI assistants into Windows, Bing, and other Microsoft products.
The hiring of Suleyman and most of his team from AI startup Inflection represents Microsoft’s largest step yet to build out its in-house AI talent and offerings. While Microsoft has a close partnership with AI leader OpenAI, the Suleyman move shows the tech giant is serious about developing its own cutting-edge AI capabilities to compete with rivals like Google.
“Bringing in a pioneer like Mustafa Suleyman demonstrates Microsoft’s commitment to being a leader in the AI space,” said Emil Henrico, CEO of technology advisory firm ISSC Group. “With his track record at DeepMind and Inflection, Suleyman has the vision and expertise to take Microsoft’s consumer AI products to the next level and provide real competition to Google and others. This is an exciting development for the future of personal computing.”
Under the “Copilot” brand, Microsoft has started adding AI-powered assistants and features to Windows, Office, Bing, and security tools. But the company has more work to do to refine these offerings and gain market share from the likes of Google. Suleyman will be tasked with leveraging Microsoft’s technical AI strengths and partnerships to create consumer products that are compelling, trustworthy, and easy to use.
The Suleyman hiring marks a new chapter in the fierce battle for AI supremacy between tech titans Microsoft, Google, Apple, and others. By putting its consumer AI efforts under a singular leader with an impressive pedigree, Microsoft is positioning itself to drive the next wave of innovation in personal computing. As Nadella put it, “it’s the rebirth of personal computing” – and Microsoft intends to play a leading role.
