Microsoft has appointed Mustafa Suleyman, co-founder of DeepMind, as the leader of its consumer AI division in a major move that may speed up the development of AI products.

Microsoft Chairman and CEO Satya Nadella welcomed Mustafa Suleyman as CEO of the company's artificial intelligence (AI) venture on March 19.

This marks the first time the tech giant has a dedicated leader overseeing this critical area. Suleyman joins Microsoft from rival Inflection AI, where he served in a leadership role.

As CEO of Microsoft AI, Suleyman will lead consumer AI products and research, including Copilot, Bing and Edge.

"Welcome to Microsoft. Thrilled to have you lead Microsoft AI as we build consumer AI, like Copilot, that is loved by and benefits people around the world,"Nadella posted on X.

Accompanying Suleyman in this venture is Karén Simonyan, another co-founder of Inflection AI, who assumes the role of chief scientist within the division. Both Suleyman and Simonyan will report directly to Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, highlighting the strategic importance of their leadership in driving Microsoft’s AI initiatives forward.

Suleyman’s transition to Microsoft comes with the integration of several key members from Inflection AI into the company’s AI division, underscoring Microsoft’s commitment to bolstering its talent pool in AI engineering and research. Nadella emphasized the importance of this partnership, affirming Microsoft’s dedication to advancing AI innovation in collaboration with OpenAI.

This announcement coincides with Microsoft’s upcoming Surface event-themed “New Era of Work,” where the company is expected to showcase advancements in AI integration across its products and services, including Copilot, Windows, and Surface. As Microsoft continues to prioritize AI development, Suleyman’s leadership is poised to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of consumer AI technologies within the company.