New Microsoft AI research group to try make Cortana better

Microsoft is doubling down on its efforts to create better AI, with the establishment of a dedicated research group of over 5,000 staff to make Cortana and its other products much smarter. The decision taken by Microsoft to form a department solely focused on AI is no surprise, given the recent announcement of its involvement in the newly formed Partnership on AI to benefit People and Society. The partnership – that also includes Google, Facebook, Amazon and IBM, among others – is an attempt to democratise AI technology for the good of humankind. However, this doesn't prevent Microsoft from going it alone to compete with Google Now, Siri and Alexa in the intelligent personal assistant game. In a statement, Microsoft said that the division of 5,000 staff will be led by Microsoft veteran Harry Shum, who has worked in research and Bing engineering within the company.