Mustafa Suleyman and Demis Hassabis, two executives in the tech industry, grew up in London and met as children. They co-founded DeepMind in 2010 with the goal of developing artificial general intelligence (A.G.I.). Dr. Hassabis now leads Google DeepMind, while Mr. Suleyman heads Microsoft AI. Their diverging paths have led to a friendly rivalry as they navigate the booming field of artificial intelligence. Microsoft and Google are now competing to dominate the A.I. market, with Dr. Hassabis focusing on creating Google’s A.I. technology and Mr. Suleyman working to bring Microsoft’s A.I. to everyday consumers. Despite their rivalry, they still maintain a respectful relationship.
Dr. Hassabis and Mr. Suleyman first met when they were young, and their shared interest in high-stakes poker eventually led to discussions about changing the world through technology. Dr. Hassabis envisioned building cutting-edge technologies, while Mr. Suleyman wanted to make immediate social impacts like improving healthcare and closing socioeconomic gaps. With the backing of venture capitalist Peter Thiel, they founded DeepMind with a mission to develop A.G.I. free from commercial pressures that could have negative consequences for society.
As DeepMind grew, Mr. Suleyman focused on developing products and generating revenue, while Dr. Hassabis and Shane Legg worked on the scientific aspects of A.I. technology. Despite their commitment to maintaining independence, DeepMind eventually sold to Google in 2014. The acquisition raised concerns about the direction of A.I. research and the potential consequences of corporate influence on innovation. Dr. Hassabis assured employees that DeepMind would stay true to its research goals, but the company faced pressure to align with Google’s commercial interests and compete with other tech giants.
Mr. Suleyman’s management style at DeepMind came under scrutiny when several employees accused him of harassment and bullying. He was placed on leave, and after a period at Google, he left to start his own A.I. company, Inflection AI. This move positioned Mr. Suleyman as a potential rival to DeepMind and Google, especially when OpenAI released the ChatGPT chatbot, sparking an industry-wide race to develop similar technologies. Microsoft later acquired Inflection AI, making Mr. Suleyman the head of a new A.I. initiative within the company.
Despite their history and continued interactions, Dr. Hassabis and Mr. Suleyman maintain separate roles in the A.I. industry. Dr. Hassabis leads Google DeepMind in researching and developing A.I. technologies, while Mr. Suleyman works to integrate A.I. into Microsoft’s consumer products. Their paths from childhood friends to tech industry rivals reflect the dynamic and competitive nature of the A.I. market. As they strive to push the boundaries of artificial intelligence and shape its future, their shared vision for using technology to benefit society remains a key driving force in their work.
