Microsoft AI Leader Harry Shum to Depart After 23 Years

In a significant shift for Microsoft, the tech behemoth located in Redmond, Washington, is bidding farewell to Harry Shum, the chief of AI, after more than two decades. This change comes as Microsoft continues to invest deeply in artificial intelligence and related technologies.

Harry Shum, who holds the title of executive vice president and leads Microsoft’s AI and Research Group, is set to leave on February 1, 2020, as confirmed by a Microsoft spokesperson this Wednesday.

Taking the reins from Shum will be Microsoft’s Chief Technology Officer, Kevin Scott, who will assume his new responsibilities while keeping his existing duties. This transition is effective immediately. Although Shum will continue to provide advice to Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and co-founder Bill Gates, his future plans remain uncertain.

Satya Nadella initiated the formation of the Microsoft AI and Research group in 2016, establishing it as a crucial fourth engineering division within the company, standing alongside the Office, Windows, and Cloud & Enterprise divisions. Microsoft aims to “democratize AI,” striving to make it accessible for individuals and organizations alike, transforming how computers work and interact with people.

“We truly believe AI is this disruptive force, even though it’s not new,” Shum stated in a 2017 interview with GeekWire. “The recent progress is just enormous. We certainly have seen that through our own products and engagement with customers. We also feel we have a very strong point of view about how we take AI to the next step.”

Notably, in its inaugural year, the AI and Research group experienced remarkable growth of 60%, expanding from 5,000 to 8,000 employees. Last year, Microsoft made significant commitments to AI during a structural engineering reorganization.

In the competitive landscape of tech innovation, Microsoft faces formidable rivals such as Google, Amazon, Salesforce, and Apple, along with a multitude of AI startups and research projects vying for dominance in this new era of artificial intelligence.

Harry Shum’s illustrious career at Microsoft began in Microsoft Research back in 1996, where he played a pivotal role in launching Microsoft Research Asia in Beijing just two years later. Shum also held the corporate vice president role overseeing Bing search product development from 2007 to 2013.

“I am an optimist,” Shum shares on his LinkedIn profile. “We are working every day to bring the best innovations to the world, pushing AI out of the labs and into the mainstream. There is still so much to learn and deliver around AI and research. We are just starting to scratch the surface of what it can do to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.”

Kevin Scott, who became CTO in 2017, previously served as vice president of engineering and operations at LinkedIn, directed engineering and operations for mobile advertising firm AdMob, and had two assignments at Google starting in 2005 as a senior engineering manager.

Looking towards the future, Scott, Nadella, and Microsoft are positioning themselves for the upcoming waves of innovation, particularly the convergence of machine learning, artificial intelligence, 5G mobile technology, cloud solutions, and an increasing array of sensors and IoT devices worldwide.

“You’ve got all of this opportunity for places where you can interface with the physical world,” Scott emphasized at the GeekWire Cloud Tech Summit in June. “It’s just where business opportunity is going to live.”

Additionally, Scott hosts the podcast Behind the Tech and actively participates in diversity initiatives both within Microsoft and the broader tech community.