Mustafa Suleyman, former co-founder of DeepMind and CEO of Inflection AI, has joined Microsoft’s Copilot team, less than a year after Inflection raised $1.3 billion. Suleyman, known for his innovative work at Google’s DeepMind, will serve as EVP and CEO of Microsoft AI. His appointment, alongside several key members of his Inflection team, was announced by Microsoft CEO, Satya Nadella, who praised Suleyman for his visionary approach and ability to build pioneering teams.
The move could potentially leave Inflection in a precarious position, with co-founder Reid Hoffman and new CEO Sean White suggesting a possible pivot towards an “AI studio business” model. The company’s ability to survive without some of its core team members remains uncertain. Some have questioned Microsoft’s motives behind hiring Suleyman, amidst speculation that some of Inflection’s valuable hardware might fall into Microsoft’s possession.
Despite his new role, Suleyman has faced criticism for seemingly going against the principles laid out in his 2023 book, “The Coming Wave,” which emphasized his commitment to the startup he founded and left Google for. Critics argue that moving to a large corporation like Microsoft contradicts this.
Meanwhile, Microsoft appears set to outdo rival Google in the AI field, particularly in light of Google’s struggles with its Gemini AI. There are also suggestions that Microsoft’s hiring of OpenAI’s employees could have further strengthened its position had it captured them after Sam Altman’s sudden firing and rehiring in 2023.
As the AI landscape continues to consolidate, Microsoft’s acquisition of Suleyman and his team from Inflection demonstrates the considerable influence that tech giants like Microsoft wield in the sector. Even well-funded startups like Inflection seem unable to withstand the pull of such industry heavyweights.
Amidst this consolidation, Anthropic, founded by former OpenAI employees, is emerging as a potential third competitor. Despite significant backing from Amazon and Google, some note that the commitment to responsible AI development by such companies may waver when profits can be made.
Thus, it seems increasingly likely that larger tech companies will continue to consolidate their power over AI startups, either through acquisitions or by enticing CEOs away from the startups they pledged to build. The acquisition of Suleyman suggests that this trend shows no sign of slowing down.
