The hub will be led by AI scientist and engineer Jordan Hoffmann, who previously distinguished himself as a pioneer at AI companies Inflection and DeepMind, which are also based in London.

“There is an enormous pool of AI talent and expertise in the UK, and Microsoft AI plans to make a significant, long-term investment in the region as we begin hiring the best AI scientists and engineers into this new AI hub,” said Mustafa Suleyman, EVP and CEO of Microsoft AI.

Suleyman, who co-founded AI startup Inflection before it was acquired by Microsoft, is 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 UK,” he commented.

Microsoft has an existing AI research presence in the UK through its Microsoft Research lab in Cambridge. However, the new dedicated Microsoft AI London hub signals the company’s increased commitment to advancing the field in Britain.

The investment builds upon Microsoft’s recently announced £2.5 billion pledge to upskill the UK workforce and build AI infrastructure – including bringing 20,000 advanced GPUs to the country by 2026.

Microsoft AI London will collaborate closely with other teams across Microsoft and partners like OpenAI. The company expects to post job openings in the coming weeks and is seeking “exceptional individuals” passionate about tackling AI’s biggest challenges.

“I know – through my close work with thought leaders in the UK 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,” said Suleyman.

“Our decision to open this hub in the UK reflects this ambition.”

(Photo by Charles Postiaux)

See also: Microsoft: China plans to disrupt elections with AI-generated disinformation

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The strategic move demonstrates OpenAI’s commitment to expanding its operations, embracing diverse perspectives, and accelerating its mission of ensuring that artificial general intelligence (AGI) benefits all of humanity.

London, renowned for its exceptional talent pool, was chosen as the ideal location for OpenAI’s international office. The city’s vibrant technology ecosystem, welcoming regulatory environment, and thriving community of innovators make it the perfect hub for OpenAI to advance its cutting-edge research and engineering capabilities.

The London teams will work closely with local communities and policymakers, fostering collaboration on OpenAI’s mission to create and promote safe AGI.

“We are thrilled to extend our research and development footprint into London,” said Diane Yoon, OpenAI’s VP of People.

“We are eager to build dynamic teams in Research, Engineering, and Go-to-Market functions, as well as other areas, to reinforce our efforts in creating and promoting safe AGI.”

OpenAI has been at the forefront of AI research, creating breakthroughs in natural language processing, reinforcement learning, and other areas. With the establishment of its international office, OpenAI intends to tap into the diverse expertise and perspectives available in London, further bolstering its capabilities and amplifying its impact.

Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, also shared his excitement about the future prospects of the London office.

“We see this expansion as an opportunity to attract world-class talent and drive innovation in AGI development and policy,” Altman stated.

“We’re excited about what the future holds and to see the contributions our London office will make towards building and deploying safe AI.”

By establishing a physical presence in London, OpenAI can forge closer partnerships with local institutions, universities, and industry experts, fostering a collaborative environment that propels AI innovation forward.

(Photo by Andrew Neel on Unsplash)

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Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London, commissioned the specialist AI researchers at CognitionX to undertake the study. The results will be used to form London’s policy towards the AI industry.

CognitionX will be looking at four areas in particular:

• Stimulating adoption and deployment
• Attracting AI entrepreneurs and businesses to London
• Removing barriers
• Supporting growth

Lawmakers around the world are scrambling to form policies around AI. Some are embracing it with open arms, while others have concerns about the potential impact to jobs, privacy, and even safety.

Khan’s approach is the first — that I’m aware of, at least — to heavily involve the AI community itself to form policies.

In a statement, he said:

“This report will help to uncover the opportunities to unlock innovation and investment in London, in order to maximise the economic impact of AI on the city.

It will also identify the challenges we face in positioning the capital as the best place to start, grow or relocate an AI business. Artificial Intelligence has the potential to transform almost every industry across the capital. London is in a strong position in the data economy and is already home to innovative, fast-growing companies like Deepmind, CityMapper and Satalia – not to mention the kind of work being done to improve public services, such as the data-driven approach to understanding rent arrears emerging through Hackney Council’s partnership with Pivigo.

London has a tremendous opportunity to build a world-class AI hub which serves a range of industries – from healthcare to finance to law – and which also helps build the AI-driven economy of the future in a way that works for all Londoners.”

London’s mayor is no stranger to supporting new technology ventures. His office backs the London Co-Investment Fund (LCIF) which in January announced its 100th investment, and revealed it’s created 1,000 jobs — while saving 300 — since its creation.

Just yesterday, AI News reported that — across the channel in France — President Emmanuel Macron is advancing his own plans for AI. Macron is calling for Europeans to relax about the use of their data by AI companies to prevent those operating in the region falling behind their international counterparts.

What are your thoughts on the study? Let us know in the comments.

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