Mustafa Suleyman, a co-founder of Google’s DeepMind artificial intelligence lab, is making a big move to lead Microsoft’s consumer A.I. business, signaling Microsoft’s aggressive plans for the technology.
Suleyman, who co-founded Inflection AI, a start-up that raised $1.5 billion in funding, will now be responsible for expanding Microsoft’s consumer A.I. business, overseeing products like Copilot chatbot, Bing search engine, and Edge internet browser. His co-founder, Karén Simonyan, and much of their team will also be joining Microsoft.
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella expressed his excitement for the new additions, stating, “We have been operating with speed and intensity, and this infusion of new talent will enable us to accelerate our pace yet again.”
Suleyman’s journey in the A.I. world began with DeepMind in 2010, which was later acquired by Google in 2014. After leaving Google in 2022, he co-founded Inflection AI, which recently introduced its consumer assistant, Pi. However, with most of Inflection AI’s staff moving to Microsoft, the company is shifting its focus to working with commercial customers rather than building a consumer business.
The move comes at a time when the debate around open sourcing A.I. technology is gaining traction among tech companies. While some argue for open sourcing to ensure safe technology, others, like OpenAI and Microsoft, have maintained secrecy around their code.
Suleyman, known for his concerns about the dangers associated with A.I. technology, has also highlighted its transformative potential, particularly in areas like drug discovery and healthcare. His vision for the future of A.I. emphasizes the importance of not letting any one company have ultimate control over the technology.
As Suleyman takes on this new role at Microsoft, the tech world will be watching closely to see how his leadership shapes the future of consumer A.I. products.
