Microsoft hires DeepMind co-founder Mustafa Suleyman as CEO of new AI unit

Microsoft has hired Mustafa Suleyman, a co-founder of DeepMind, an AI startup acquired by Google in 2014, to manage its Copilot AI programs. Suleyman will be named executive vice president and CEO of Microsoft AI, reporting to CEO Satya Nadella.

DeepMind rose to prominence within Google as an AI research leader, garnering publication in the journal Nature as well as widespread media coverage. Tesla CEO Elon Musk launched OpenAI, a nonprofit AI lab, in response to Google’s growing popularity.

Suleyman departed Google’s parent company, Alphabet, in 2022 to co-found and lead the firm Inflection AI. Karén Simonyan, a co-founder and chief scientist of Inflection, will join Microsoft as chief scientist for Microsoft AI, along with other of the startup’s workers, Nadella said in a memo.

The new Microsoft AI group will focus on Copilot, which is available in Bing, Windows, and other Microsoft products. Consumer AI products and research will also fall under this category.

“I’ve known Mustafa for several years and have greatly admired him as a founder of both DeepMind and Inflection, and as a visionary, product maker, and builder of pioneering teams that go after bold missions,” Nadella said in a statement.

Suleyman departed Google’s parent company, Alphabet, in 2022 to co-found and lead the firm Inflection AI. Karén Simonyan, a co-founder and chief scientist of Inflection, will join Microsoft as chief scientist for Microsoft AI, along with other of the startup’s workers, Nadella said in a memo.

The new Microsoft AI group will focus on Copilot, which is available in Bing, Windows, and other Microsoft products. Consumer AI products and research will also fall under this category.

“I’ve known Mustafa for several years and have greatly admired him as a founder of both DeepMind and Inflection, and as a visionary, product maker, and builder of pioneering teams that go after bold missions,” Nadella said in a statement.