All articles tagged with #inflection ai
The UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is investigating whether Microsoft's hiring of key staff from AI start-up Inflection AI constitutes a merger that could reduce competition. Microsoft argues that hiring talent promotes competition and should not be seen as a merger. The CMA will decide by September 11 whether to clear the transaction or proceed with a more in-depth investigation.
The UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has launched a phase one investigation into Microsoft's hiring of Inflection AI staff, which could impact Microsoft's AI ambitions if it progresses to a second phase. Microsoft argues that hiring talent should not be treated as a merger and is cooperating with the CMA. This investigation follows increased scrutiny of AI partnerships and investments by Big Tech in the UK and EU.
The UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is investigating whether Microsoft's hiring of Mustafa Suleyman and other key employees from AI startup Inflection constitutes a merger that could reduce competition in the AI sector. The CMA will decide by September 11 whether to proceed with a more in-depth "Phase 2" investigation. Microsoft maintains that the hiring promotes competition and is not a merger.
Microsoft announces a new London hub for its consumer AI division, led by former Inflection AI scientist Jordan Hoffmann, who will develop new language models and infrastructure. This move follows Microsoft's recent investment in Inflection AI and the unveiling of a new consumer AI division headed by Inflection AI's founders. The U.K. is becoming a key player in AI R&D, with Microsoft's significant investment and Google's DeepMind also based in London, indicating a potential talent tug-of-war.
Microsoft is reportedly paying approximately $650 million to acquire Inflection AI, with $620 million for non-exclusive licensing fees and $30 million to prevent legal action. Investors are expected to receive favorable returns, and the remaining company will pivot to become an AI studio. The move provides a soft landing for Microsoft and its board member's VC firm, while also potentially offering strategic advantages in the AI space.
Microsoft has agreed to pay Inflection AI $650 million to license its AI software and has hired most of the startup's staff, including its co-founders. The deal, resembling an "acqui-hire" without an acquisition, has raised concerns about potential antitrust issues with US regulators due to the increasing scrutiny of Big Tech's AI investments and partnerships.
Microsoft is making a major push in the AI space after hiring co-founders from Inflection AI, absorbing much of its staff into a new division to avoid regulatory oversight. The move reflects Microsoft's increasing focus on AI, with developments including a new GPT model from OpenAI and AI-related news in Surface and Windows products.
Microsoft's acquisition of Inflection AI is peculiar as it appears to be happening in everything but name, prompting confusion around the deal. This news was reported by Stratechery, a tech-focused publication that offers a subscription service providing access to exclusive content and podcasts.
Inflection AI plans to pivot its business strategy after most of its employees, including CEO and co-founder Mustafa Suleyman, departed for Microsoft. The startup intends to shift towards licensing its technology to Microsoft and working with business customers.
Inflection AI plans to pivot its business model after most of its employees, including its CEO and co-founder, move to Microsoft. The startup, backed by investors such as Microsoft, Nvidia Corp., Bill Gates, and Reid Hoffman, will license its technology to Microsoft and shift towards serving business customers. Inflection's new CEO, Sean White, will lead the company as it retains its proprietary technology and aims to become an AI platform for businesses. Existing investors will remain equity holders with potential for future upside, while the terms of the deal and the number of remaining employees are undisclosed.
Mustafa Suleyman, CEO of Inflection AI, is leaving the company to lead consumer AI at Microsoft, prompting a shift in focus for Inflection towards a business-to-business strategy. Microsoft is not acquiring any of Inflection's intellectual property, and the company will now provide an API to other businesses, hosting it on Microsoft's cloud service. Suleyman's departure and Inflection's pivot from consumer AI to business-to-business growth reflect the challenges and costs associated with competing in the consumer AI market, with industry insiders expecting more AI companies to shift focus to the enterprise market.
Microsoft has hired the co-founders of Inflection AI, Mustafa Suleyman and Karen Simonyan, to lead its newly formed consumer AI division, with Suleyman as EVP and CEO of Microsoft AI. The move comes as Microsoft continues its aggressive push to attract top AI talent, with the company having led a $1.3 billion funding round in Inflection AI less than a year ago. The new division will focus on AI products and research for Copilot, Bing, and Edge, and Inflection AI will shift its focus to the AI studio business, building and testing customer generative AI models.
Artificial intelligence startup Inflection AI, founded by one of DeepMind's co-founders Mustafa Suleyman, has secured $1.3 billion in funding from Microsoft and Nvidia, among others. The funding brings the total raised by the company to $1.525 billion. Inflection AI's chatbot, called Pi, aims to provide personal conversations with users and is meant for casual conversation rather than providing information. The startup has access to 22,000 Nvidia H100 GPUs, making it a sought-after player in the AI industry.