Key Takeaways
- Microsoft has launched a new CoreAI group, headed by Jay Parikh since January.
- This team is focused on developing Microsoft’s artificial intelligence platform and tools for developers.
- The group blends Parikh’s former colleagues from Meta with experienced Microsoft executives.
- Key figures include Asha Sharma, Eric Boyd, and Julia Liuson, each leading significant parts of the initiative.
Microsoft is bolstering its artificial intelligence efforts with a new division called CoreAI, established in January and led by Jay Parikh. This group is central to Microsoft’s strategy of empowering developers to create AI agents designed to work alongside people.
The team assembled by Parikh features executives who previously worked with him at Meta, alongside seasoned Microsoft leaders. A Microsoft spokesperson confirmed the organizational structure, noting some Meta executives were hired before Parikh’s appointment, according to Business Insider, which recently viewed an internal document.
Asha Sharma serves as corporate vice president for product within the AI platform, managing a team of nearly 400. Sharma, who overlapped with Parikh at Meta, was previously chief operating officer at Instacart.
Eric Boyd, a corporate vice president of engineering, has been involved in Microsoft’s AI work for over a decade. His team, now numbering more than 2,200 employees, transitioned under Parikh in January. Last year, some concerns were raised about this team potentially becoming solely an “IT for OpenAI” support function.
Julia Liuson, president of Microsoft’s developer division, oversees the largest segment of CoreAI, with about 7,000 of the organization’s approximately 10,000 employees. A Microsoft veteran of over 33 years, Liuson’s team, known internally as DevDiv, builds tools and services for developers.
Other key members reporting to Parikh or within the CoreAI leadership include Caitie McCaffrey, a member of the technical staff focusing on engineering standards. Jason Taylor, Microsoft’s deputy CTO and a former Meta infrastructure VP, leads AI infrastructure for CoreAI.
Michael Kirkland, another ex-Meta VP, recently joined as vice president of engagement for CoreAI. Tim Bozarth, formerly of Google, is corporate vice president for EngThrive, an initiative aimed at improving engineering efficiency across Microsoft.
