Microsoft announces AI hub in London to “advance state-of-the-art language models”

Microsoft is planning to open an AI hub in the “heart of London” that will be led by scientist and engineer Jordan Hoffmann

The new AI hub’s leader will be scientist and engineer Jordan Hoffmann, who previously worked at Inflection and DeepMind [File] | Photo Credit: AP

Microsoft has announced plans to open an AI hub in the “heart of London” where it will work on language models while collaborating with other Microsoft teams, as well as partners such as OpenAI, said Mustafa Suleyman, EVP and CEO of Microsoft AI, in a blog post on Sunday.

The new AI hub’s leader will be scientist and engineer Jordan Hoffmann, who previously worked at Inflection and DeepMind.

Suleyman added that Microsoft would begin actively hiring new talent in the region to join its office.

“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,” noted the post.

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The United Kingdom has been working to position itself as a prime location for AI innovation and research, but with a focus on reasonable regulation. On 1 and 2 November last year, the country held the world’s first global AI Safety Summit at Bletchley Park, Milton Keynes, where over 25 countries came together to discuss the risks of AI.

Suleyman also attended the event at the time.

“As a British citizen, born and raised in London, I’m proud to have co-founded and built a cutting-edge AI business here. I’m deeply aware of the extraordinary talent pool and AI ecosystem in the U.K., and I’m excited to make this commitment to the U.K. on behalf of Microsoft AI. I know – through my close work with thought leaders in the U.K. government, business community and academia – that the country is committed to advancing AI responsibly and with a safety-first commitment to drive investment, innovation and economic growth. Our decision to open this hub in the U.K. reflects this ambition,” he said in his post.

Published - April 09, 2024 09:40 am IST