Microsoft Eyes AI Supercomputer on Azure

Microsoft is jumping on the artificial intelligence bandwagon with the formation of a new research group that will seek to make the technology more accessible via its Azure cloud while helping to deliver new capabilities across applications, services and infrastructure. The infrastructure portion of the effort focuses on combining the processing engines like GPUs and FPGAs designed to improve network connectivity as ways to boost AI performance running on Microsoft's Azure Cloud. Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) said last week Harry Shum, a 20-year company veteran who worked on the Bing search and Cortana intelligence personal assistant projects, would head the AI initiative. More than 5,000 computer scientists and engineers work for Microsoft's AI and Research Group. Microsoft's AI initiative seeks to "democratize" AI technology through a focus on agents, applications, services and infrastructure.