Andrew Ng is leaving Baidu in search of a grander AI challenge

Andrew Ng, a leading figure in the world of artificial intelligence, is leaving his post as chief scientist at China's Baidu and says he wants to find ways of advancing AI beyond the technology world. Ng is known for playing a leading role in formulating the AI strategy of both Baidu and Google. He says is leaving the Chinese company on good terms and simply wants to find a new challenge. "I've decided to step away from this role while everything is going well and look at some other things," he told MIT Technology Review. "I don't know precisely what I'll do, but I think AI offers a lot of opportunities, not just at big companies like Baidu but for entrepreneurs, and for advancing basic research," Ng added.