DeepMind co-founder joins Microsoft to lead Copilot development under new 'Microsoft AI' org

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By Zac Bowden
published

Another internal reorg shapes the company for an AI-lead future.

Windows AI Copilot
(Image credit: Windows Central)

What you need to know

  • Microsoft has announced an internal reorg to better position the company for an AI future.
  • It's forming a new "Microsoft AI" organization, lead by DeepMind and Inflection co-founder Mustafa Suleyma.
  • The reorg moves Bing, Edge, Copilot and potentially Windows under this new Microsoft AI org.

Microsoft is firmly an AI company now, as it moves to shape itself around an AI future. Today, the tech giant announced an internal reorg, with products like Bing, Edge, and Copilot moving under a new "Microsoft AI" division lead by DeepMind and Inflection co-founder Mustafa Suleyman.

Mustafa Suleyman will take the role as Executive Vice President and CEO of Microsoft AI, and will be part of Microsoft's senior leadership team reporting directly to Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella. This new Microsoft AI organization will focus on advancing Copilot and other consumer AI products and research.

As part of the reorg, Mikhail Parakhin and his team, which consists of products such as Bing, Edge, and Copilot, will be moved under Microsoft AI, reporting directly to Suleyman. Previously, Parakhin was reporting to Rajesh Jha, who remains as Executive Vice President of Experiences & Devices at Microsoft.

Curiously, Microsoft fails to mention where Windows is going under this new reorg. When ex-Windows boss Panos Panay departed last year, Windows was placed under Mikhail Parakhin, but Microsoft's press release about today's reorg fails to mention Windows as moving with him under the Microsoft AI org.

Does this mean Windows remains under Rajesh Jha and the Experiences and Devices org? If so, who is now in charge of Windows? If Windows did move with Mikhail, then that means Windows is now sitting under Microsoft's AI organization internally at the company, which is a big deal.

Regardless of where Windows now resides internally, it's clear that Microsoft is now viewing itself as an AI company first and foremost. Microsoft is all-in on AI experiences and Microsoft Copilot, and you can bet it's going to build all future products around this technology.

Zac Bowden
Zac Bowden
Senior Editor

Zac Bowden is a Senior Editor at Windows Central. Bringing you exclusive coverage into the world of Windows on PCs, tablets, phones, and more. Also an avid collector of rare Microsoft prototype devices! Keep in touch on Twitter and Threads

1 Comment Comment from the forums
  • fjtorres5591
    Well, now...

    Microsoft AI is roughly equal to XBOX, organizationally, but on the bottom line, AZURE is still tops. And at Microsoft's size, you can just as easily call the many things other than a Consumer electronics or advertising company. But looking at everything they are still primarily an enterprise tools company. And Microsoft AI doesn't change that until AI brings in more money than AZURE, OFFICE, or even XBOX.

    At best "Microsoft as an AI company" is aspirational. At worst, it is a PR branding exercise to put some distance between themselves and OpenAI. The latter is more likely in light of their past "embrace and extend" tactics. And right on schedule, too.
    Reply