Microsoft has released plans to establish a new office in London, focusing exclusively on advancing AI research and development. 

The tech giant’s AI chief, Mustafa Suleyman, announced that the company will soon be seeking out “exceptional individuals” to join the team, though specific job numbers have yet to be disclosed.

“There is an enormous pool of AI talent and expertise in the U.K., 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,” Suleyman said in a blog post. 

Suleyman, a co-founder of the AI research lab DeepMind, expressed enthusiasm about the venture, appointing AI engineer Jordan Hoffmann, who has previous experience at DeepMind and Inflection AI, to lead operations at the new office. 

Moreover, Suleyman lauded the UK’s “safety-first” approach to AI, particularly in light of a recent collaboration agreement between the UK and the US aimed at testing advanced AI models.

“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,” he said. 

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

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The new Microsoft AI office in the UK is also expected to work closely with staff from OpenAI, building on an initial £790m investment, which has since expanded into a multi-year, multi-billion-dollar partnership.

Microsoft’s latest move comes at a time when the company has solidified its position as the world’s most valuable listed company, with a market value exceeding $3 trillion. 

It also comes on the heels of its pledge to invest £2.5 billion into the UK over the next three years to expand its AI data centre infrastructure.