What you need to know
- Microsoft's head of its AI and Research group, Harry Shum, is leaving the company.
- He will be replaced by CTO Kevin Scott.
- Shum, a 23-year Microsoft veteran, will stay on through February.
Harry Shum, the head of Microsoft's AI and Research group, is leaving the company, according to a report from ZDNet. Taking his place is Microsoft CTO Kevin Scott, who has assumed Shum's role starting today. The move was announced via an internal letter from Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella today.
"Harry has had a profound impact on Microsoft," Nadella reportedly said in the letter. "His contributions in the fields of computer science and AI leave a legacy and a strong foundation for future innovation. I want to thank him for his leadership and partnership, and for all he has done for Microsoft."
Shum has lead the AI and Research team since its creation in 2016. He has spent 23 years at the company after initially joining Microsoft Research in 1996. In his role as the head of AI and Research, shum was responsible for "driving the company's overall AI strategy and forward-looking research and development efforts spanning infrastructure, services, apps and agents," Microsoft says in his executive bio (opens in new tab).
Scott previously headed up LinkedIn's engineering and operations team before moving to Microsoft. According to ZDNet, his team at Microsoft has focused on finding applications for deep learning, mixed reality, data dignity, and the Intelligent Edge.
There's no word on Shum's next moves, but he is expected to stay on at Microsoft through February 1, 2020. ZDNet reports that he will continue to be an advisor for Nadella and Bill Gates.
Dan Thorp-Lancaster is the Editor in Chief for Windows Central. He began working with Windows Central as a news writer in 2014 and is obsessed with tech of all sorts. You can follow Dan on Twitter @DthorpL and Instagram @heyitsdtl. Got a hot tip? Send it to daniel.thorp-lancaster@futurenet.com.
