OpenAI snaps up Microsoft’s generative AI research leader

Microsoft lost an AI expert and OpenAI gained one, after the former VP of productive AI research Sebastian Bubeck left the latter. The Information first reported the move, while Reuters also confirmed the move with Microsoft.

We know Bubeck as one of the main authors of the papers describing Microsoft’s Phi models, a series of very small language models and concepts intended to help push AI applications to the edge of devices. That kind of technology is becoming increasingly important as large, mid-range models like OpenAI’s GPT-4o give way in other markets to on-device models that work quickly, privately, and offline.

While Bubeck’s new role at OpenAI is still a mystery, it seems likely that he will be working on the efficiency and small prototypes side of things — a corner of the AI ​​world where OpenAI is currently less prominent.