Microsoft mobilizes 6,000 workers to help customers adopt AI through new dedicated division

Microsoft mobilizes 6,000 workers to help customers adopt AI

Microsoft is setting up a new organization with 6,000 employees to help businesses with the technical and strategic work of deploying artificial intelligence. The division's workers will have experience across engineering, corporate training and management, as well as within specific industries, Microsoft announced. "The skills sets required to do this are quite unique -- we've got folks that have been in banking for 20 years -- in retail, energy, life sciences," Judson Althoff, CEO of Microsoft's commercial business, said Thursday in an interview on Bloomberg Television. Working more closely with customers will help them implement AI more efficiently and inform Microsoft's own product development decisions, Althoff said. Traditionally, software vendors have left this kind of lower-margin implementation work to consulting companies. But in the AI era, many have found that businesses need additional help deploying cutting-edge tools. Popularized by Palantir Technologies, the model of deploying engineers within customer organizations has since been adopted by vendors from Salesforce to OpenAI. Amazon's cloud unit on Tuesday announced a similar effort. The idea for the new organization came in part from customer concerns about the ballooning costs of AI, Althoff said. Microsoft can help those businesses improve the way they use AI, such as by swapping out expensive models for cheaper ones, he said. -- With assistance from Rebecca Torrence.

Microsoft creates 6,000-person unit to help clients adopt AI By Investing.com

Investing.com -- Microsoft Corp. announced Thursday the creation of a new division with 6,000 employees dedicated to helping businesses deploy artificial intelligence technology. The unit will employ workers with backgrounds in engineering, corporate training and management, as well as industry-specific expertise, according to the company's announcement. Judson Althoff, chief executive officer of Microsoft's commercial business, said closer collaboration with customers will enable more efficient AI implementation and provide insights for the company's product development. Software vendors have historically delegated lower-margin implementation work to consulting firms. In the AI sector, businesses increasingly require additional support to deploy advanced tools. Palantir Technologies Inc. introduced the model of placing engineers within customer organizations. Salesforce Inc. and OpenAI have since adopted similar approaches. Amazon.com Inc.'s cloud division announced a comparable initiative on Tuesday. This article was generated with the support of AI and reviewed by an editor. For more information see our T&C.