John Langford leaves Microsoft after reorganization hindered original research
John Langford, the mind behind Microsoft's AI research group, AI Frontiers, has left the company after a major shake-up.
He shared that moving his team into Microsoft AI made it tough to do original research, calling the reorganization "a bit of a train wreck."
Microsoft scaling shift accompanied by departures
Langford's exit highlights a bigger issue: Microsoft is now focused on making existing AI models bigger and better instead of exploring new ideas.
He said this shift left him "a bit of a train wreck," especially since the reorganization left little room for the innovation his team wanted to pursue.
Other leaders like Sarah Bond and Eric Boyd, who joined the AI startup Anthropic as its head of infrastructure in April, have also left, raising questions about where Microsoft's AI efforts are headed.