- By Ashish Singh
- Tue, 09 Apr 2024 01:54 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Microsoft has revealed plans to establish a new research and development-focused artificial intelligence (AI) facility in London. Mustafa Suleyman, a London-born cofounder of Google DeepMind whom Microsoft hired last month, will serve as the unit's leader.
Microsoft Plans For AI:
Last month, Microsoft named Suleyman, a cofounder of DeepMind, to lead its own artificial intelligence division. Suleyman quit his recently founded company, Inflection AI, and joined Microsoft, taking a large number of staff members with him. Given that Microsoft was able to avoid the regulatory scrutiny often involved with a traditional acquisition by relocating staff, some individuals were sceptical of the approach.
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Why Is It Important?
As the main backer of OpenAI, the company that created ChatGPT, Microsoft is a world leader in this quickly expanding sector. However, the competition for AI skills has intensified dramatically in Europe during the past 18 months. Microsoft might try to hire specialists from other AI-focused businesses like DeepMind or OpenAI to work in its new subsidiary. However, it can be considered that the company will definitely come up with some unique innovations in the technology and AI sector which will be useful for users across the world.
The news builds on Microsoft's recent pledge to invest 2.5 billion pounds ($3.16 billion) on data centre infrastructure and enhancing AI skills throughout Britain, even though it is yet unclear how many jobs the new hub would produce.
"Combined with the presence of other AI giants such as Meta, London’s reputation for AI start-ups and scale-ups, and the wider UK’s rich and deep pool of data science and AI talent (outside of London the wider UK’s AI hotbeds include Cambridge and Leeds) makes the UK a leading hub for AI innovation globally. The move by Microsoft to open its new AI division in London marks the start of what will likely be a major talent war between Google, Microsoft and the many other AI companies with development centres in the city. This is of course good news for all the data scientists, AI engineers and similar talent who live in and around London and the wider UK. It’s also going to make it harder for Google and similar incumbents to attract and retain its UK based workforce, particularly in the AI space," said Heather Dawe, Chief Data Scientist, UST.
In a blog post, Suleyman stated, "In the coming weeks and months, we will be posting job openings and actively hiring exceptional individuals who want to work on the most interesting and challenging AI questions of our time. We’re looking for new team members who are driven by impact at scale, and who are passionate innovators eager to contribute to a team culture where continuous learning is the norm."