Microsoft has recently announced the hiring of Mustafa Suleyman, a co-founder of Google DeepMind, to lead a new group focused on consumer AI initiatives. The company has also recruited Karén Simonyan and other members of Suleyman’s Inflection AI team, signaling a push to invest in AI talent.
As part of this effort, Microsoft is opening a new AI hub in London. The hub will be run by Jordan Hoffmann, a former employee of Inflection AI and DeepMind, and it will be based out of Microsoft’s London Paddington office. This move was influenced by the UK’s pool of AI talent and expertise, with Microsoft planning to make a long-term investment in the region.
The new hub will focus on language models and their support infrastructure, collaborating with AI teams across Microsoft and OpenAI. Suleyman, who is British and from London, emphasized the country’s commitment to advancing AI responsibly. This move comes as Big Tech companies are competing to hire top AI experts and leaders. The tight pool of researchers and engineers has led to companies trying to poach staff from their rivals. Microsoft’s strategic investment in AI talent could pose a challenge to its competitors, particularly Google, as the battle for AI expertise intensifies.
