Citadel has just hired a new head of artificial intelligence from Microsoft

Hedge funds seeking artificial intelligence expertise need to cast the net wide these days, due to a shortage of people and a massive uptick in demand over the past 12 months. Citadel has just turned to Microsoft for the new role of chief AI officer. Li Deng, who joined the tech firm straight out of academia 17 years' ago, has just joined Citadel's hedge fund operation in Seattle, but will work also across Chicago and New York. Deng announced his move to Citadel on LinkedIn yesterday, saying that he was "very excited about the opportunities for artificial intelligence innovation here and the firm's passion for growing its leadership in this space." Citadel didn't immediately respond to requests for comment.