Microsoft readies new AI model to compete with Google, OpenAI, The Information reports

1. Development and Leadership:

• The development of MAI-1 is being led by Mustafa Suleyman, the former Google AI leader who recently served as CEO of the AI startup Inflection before Microsoft acquired the majority of the startup’s staff and intellectual property.
• Although MAI-1 may build on techniques brought over by former Inflection staff, it is reportedly an entirely new large language model (LLM).

1. Model Size and Parameters:

   • MAI-1 is expected to have approximately 500 billion parameters, making it significantly larger than Microsoft’s previous open-source models.
   • This places MAI-1 in a similar league as OpenAI’s GPT-4, which is rumored to have over 1 trillion parameters.

2. Dual Approach to AI:

   • Microsoft’s approach involves both small locally run language models for mobile devices and larger state-of-the-art models powered by the cloud.
   • This dual approach allows Microsoft to explore AI development independently from OpenAI.

3. Purpose and Progress:

• The exact purpose of MAI-1 has not been determined yet, even within Microsoft.
• Its most ideal use will depend on its performance.
• To train the model, Microsoft has allocated a large cluster of servers with Nvidia GPUs and compiled training data from various sources, including text generated by OpenAI’s GPT-4 and public Internet data.
• Microsoft may preview MAI-1 as early as its Build developer conference later this month¹².

More about Mustafa Suleyman.

1. Early Life and Education:

   • Suleyman was born in August 1982. His Syrian father worked as a taxi driver, and his English mother was a nurse.
   • He grew up in the London Borough of Islington, where he lived with his parents and two younger brothers.
   • Suleyman attended Thornhill Primary School and later Queen Elizabeth’s School, a boys’ grammar school in Barnet.
   • During this time, he met Demis Hassabis, who would later become his co-founder at DeepMind. They shared a vision of making a positive impact on the world.

2. Career Path:

   • After dropping out of Mansfield College, Oxford, at the age of 19, Suleyman co-founded the Muslim Youth Helpline in 2001. This telephone counseling service became one of the largest mental health support services for Muslims in the UK.
   • He worked as a policy officer on human rights for Ken Livingstone, the Mayor of London.
   • Suleyman then founded Reos Partners, a consultancy focused on systemic change. He worked as a negotiator and facilitator for clients such as the United Nations, the Dutch government, and the World Wide Fund for Nature.

3. DeepMind and Google:

   • Suleyman co-founded DeepMind Technologies, an AI and machine learning company, and served as its chief product officer.
   • In 2014, Google acquired DeepMind for a reported £400 million, marking the largest European acquisition by Google at the time.
   • After the acquisition, Suleyman became the head of applied AI at DeepMind, responsible for integrating the company’s technology across various Google products.
   • He also launched DeepMind Health, which builds clinician-led technology for the NHS and other partners to improve frontline healthcare services.

4. Inflection AI and Microsoft:

   • After leaving DeepMind, Suleyman co-founded Inflection AI, a machine learning and generative AI company, in 2022.
   • Recently, he joined Microsoft to lead a new organization called Microsoft AI, focused on advancing products like Copilot and other consumer AI offerings.