Microsoft creates new combined AI, Research group

Microsoft is combining its Cortana, Bing, and Ambient Computing and Robotics engineering teams with part of its Microsoft Research team to create a new Microsoft AI and Research Group.

The newly formed group, unveiled on Sept. 29, will have more than 5,000 people focused on Microsoft's AI product work all-up, and will be headed by Executive Vice President Harry Shum.

The new group will handle AI product engineering, basic and applied research, and Microssoft's New Experiences and Technologies (NExT) team.

Microsoft has been honing its AI focus as of late, emphasizing the company's multi-faceted work in agent technologies (Cortana), increased built-in intelligence in its apps and bots, machine-learning and cognitive services, and infrastructure -- specifically on some of its work around field-programmable gate-array technologies and other related Azure cloud work.