Microsoft’s AI division, led by Mustafa Suleyman, is gearing up for expansion with the announcement of plans to establish a new office in London. Suleyman, the AI boss at Microsoft, revealed that the company will soon begin advertising roles for “exceptional individuals” in the coming weeks and months, although the exact number of jobs to be created remains undisclosed.
The move comes as a significant investment from Microsoft, a major investor in OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT. OpenAI itself established an office in London back in 2023, signaling the city’s growing importance in the global AI landscape.
In a blog post, Suleyman emphasized the wealth of AI talent and expertise in the UK, stating that Microsoft AI intends to make a substantial, long-term investment in the region by recruiting top AI scientists and engineers for its new AI hub.
Suleyman, who co-founded the UK-based AI research lab DeepMind, acquired by Google in 2014, has a notable background in the field. He launched his own AI startup, Inflection AI, in 2022 before joining Microsoft in March. Heading the operations at the new London office will be AI engineer Jordan Hoffmann, who previously worked with Suleyman at both DeepMind and Inflection.
The focus of Microsoft AI London will be on advancing state-of-the-art language models and their supporting infrastructure. Suleyman also commended the UK’s “safety-first” approach to AI, coinciding with recent collaboration agreements between the UK and the US on testing advanced AI models.
The move has garnered praise from UK officials, with Viscount Camrose, the minister for AI, describing it as a “vote of confidence” in the UK’s status as a global leader in AI innovation. He highlighted the thriving AI sector in the UK, employing over 50,000 people and contributing £3.7 billion to the economy.
Microsoft’s new UK office will work closely with OpenAI, with which it has a substantial investment. Microsoft previously announced a multi-year, multi-billion partnership with OpenAI in 2023. Despite recent leadership changes at OpenAI, including the chaotic removal and reinstatement of CEO Sam Altman, Microsoft remains committed to supporting the organization.
The expansion into London comes at a time when Microsoft has solidified its position as the world’s most valuable listed company, with a market value exceeding $3 trillion. Russ Shaw, founder of Tech London Advocates, hailed the move as a significant vote of confidence in the UK’s tech ecosystem, emphasizing the importance of remaining at the forefront of AI research and innovation for the country’s continued success in the technology sector.