Microsoft Copilot boss Mustafa Suleyman to chase superintelligence
(2026/03/18)
- Reference: 1773846082
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2026/03/18/microsoft_suleyman_superintelligence/
- Source link:
Microsoft has rearranged the deckchairs on the RMS Copilot, sending Mustafa Suleyman to seek out superintelligence, and putting Jacob Andreou in charge of Copilot across consumer and commercial.
Suleyman, a DeepMind veteran who was [1]appointed CEO of Microsoft AI by Satya Nadella in 2024, spent his entire tenure talking up Copilot, unveiling [2]creepy animated avatars , insisting all was well with the OpenAI deal as [3]Microsoft quietly developed its own models , and exclaiming "Jeez [4]there are so many cynics !" at a public skeptical of AI.
Copilot has yet to set the market alight despite Microsoft crowbarring the assistant into as many places as it can find ( [5]at least until recently ) and Suleyman is now making what looks for all intents and purposes [6]like a sideways move to focus on superintelligence and delivery of "world-class models for Microsoft over the next five years."
[7]
Suleyman had already [8]announced he was heading up a new superintelligence team in November, so the reorganization frees him from the pesky need to show a return on AI investments.
[9]
[10]
Andreou, previously Corporate VP for Product and Growth at Microsoft AI, will report directly to Nadella, though Suleyman says he'll "stay directly involved in much of the day-to-day operation," attending meetings and supporting product strategy. Both will sit on a newly established Copilot Leadership Team alongside Charles Lamanna, Perry Clarke, and Ryan Roslansky.
[11]Four horsemen of the AI-pocalypse line up capex bigger than Israel's GDP
[12]Gartner suggests Friday afternoon Copilot ban because tired users may be too lazy to check its mistakes
[13]Microsoft Copilot to hijack your browser... for your own convenience
[14]Say goodbye to budget PCs and smartphones – memory is too expensive now
Suleyman also acknowledged "the sacrifices many of you have made to help the company adapt to this new era" – cold comfort to anyone affected by the [15]multiple waves of layoffs at Microsoft in recent years.
As former Microsoft staffer Ned Pyle posted in July last year: "How many billions must be burned in the AI furnace before this stops?"
Suleyman concluded today that the restructuring would "enable me to focus all my energy on our Superintelligence efforts," and that Microsoft has "an incredible opportunity to redefine" itself for "this agentic revolution."
[16]
Another restructure at Microsoft a week ago was triggered by the [17]confirmation of company veteran Rajesh Jha's retirement. Jha is Microsoft Executive Vice President (EVP) for Experiences and Devices. ®
Get our [18]Tech Resources
[1] https://www.theregister.com/2024/03/19/microsoft_inflection/
[2] https://www.theregister.com/2025/09/30/microsoft_copilot_avatars/
[3] https://www.theregister.com/2025/08/28/microsoft_unveils_housemade_models_amid/
[4] https://www.theregister.com/2025/11/21/microsoft_ai_boss_comment/
[5] https://www.theregister.com/2026/03/18/automatic_deployment_copilot/
[6] https://blogs.microsoft.com/blog/2026/03/17/announcing-copilot-leadership-update/
[7] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/aiml&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2abraM7FIoWExEnS4KYOvHAAAAQo&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2025/11/06/microsoft_suleyman_humanist_superintelligence/
[9] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/aiml&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44abraM7FIoWExEnS4KYOvHAAAAQo&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[10] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/aiml&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33abraM7FIoWExEnS4KYOvHAAAAQo&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[11] https://www.theregister.com/2026/02/06/ai_capex_plans/
[12] https://www.theregister.com/2026/03/17/gartner_copilot_security_mitigations/
[13] https://www.theregister.com/2026/03/05/microsoft_adds_a_sidepane_for/
[14] https://www.theregister.com/2026/02/26/memory_price_hikes/
[15] https://www.theregister.com/2025/07/04/former_and_current_microsofties_react_layoffs/
[16] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/aiml&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44abraM7FIoWExEnS4KYOvHAAAAQo&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[17] https://www.theregister.com/2026/03/13/organizational_changes_at_microsoft_as/
[18] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Suleyman, a DeepMind veteran who was [1]appointed CEO of Microsoft AI by Satya Nadella in 2024, spent his entire tenure talking up Copilot, unveiling [2]creepy animated avatars , insisting all was well with the OpenAI deal as [3]Microsoft quietly developed its own models , and exclaiming "Jeez [4]there are so many cynics !" at a public skeptical of AI.
Copilot has yet to set the market alight despite Microsoft crowbarring the assistant into as many places as it can find ( [5]at least until recently ) and Suleyman is now making what looks for all intents and purposes [6]like a sideways move to focus on superintelligence and delivery of "world-class models for Microsoft over the next five years."
[7]
Suleyman had already [8]announced he was heading up a new superintelligence team in November, so the reorganization frees him from the pesky need to show a return on AI investments.
[9]
[10]
Andreou, previously Corporate VP for Product and Growth at Microsoft AI, will report directly to Nadella, though Suleyman says he'll "stay directly involved in much of the day-to-day operation," attending meetings and supporting product strategy. Both will sit on a newly established Copilot Leadership Team alongside Charles Lamanna, Perry Clarke, and Ryan Roslansky.
[11]Four horsemen of the AI-pocalypse line up capex bigger than Israel's GDP
[12]Gartner suggests Friday afternoon Copilot ban because tired users may be too lazy to check its mistakes
[13]Microsoft Copilot to hijack your browser... for your own convenience
[14]Say goodbye to budget PCs and smartphones – memory is too expensive now
Suleyman also acknowledged "the sacrifices many of you have made to help the company adapt to this new era" – cold comfort to anyone affected by the [15]multiple waves of layoffs at Microsoft in recent years.
As former Microsoft staffer Ned Pyle posted in July last year: "How many billions must be burned in the AI furnace before this stops?"
Suleyman concluded today that the restructuring would "enable me to focus all my energy on our Superintelligence efforts," and that Microsoft has "an incredible opportunity to redefine" itself for "this agentic revolution."
[16]
Another restructure at Microsoft a week ago was triggered by the [17]confirmation of company veteran Rajesh Jha's retirement. Jha is Microsoft Executive Vice President (EVP) for Experiences and Devices. ®
Get our [18]Tech Resources
[1] https://www.theregister.com/2024/03/19/microsoft_inflection/
[2] https://www.theregister.com/2025/09/30/microsoft_copilot_avatars/
[3] https://www.theregister.com/2025/08/28/microsoft_unveils_housemade_models_amid/
[4] https://www.theregister.com/2025/11/21/microsoft_ai_boss_comment/
[5] https://www.theregister.com/2026/03/18/automatic_deployment_copilot/
[6] https://blogs.microsoft.com/blog/2026/03/17/announcing-copilot-leadership-update/
[7] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/aiml&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2abraM7FIoWExEnS4KYOvHAAAAQo&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2025/11/06/microsoft_suleyman_humanist_superintelligence/
[9] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/aiml&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44abraM7FIoWExEnS4KYOvHAAAAQo&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[10] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/aiml&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33abraM7FIoWExEnS4KYOvHAAAAQo&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[11] https://www.theregister.com/2026/02/06/ai_capex_plans/
[12] https://www.theregister.com/2026/03/17/gartner_copilot_security_mitigations/
[13] https://www.theregister.com/2026/03/05/microsoft_adds_a_sidepane_for/
[14] https://www.theregister.com/2026/02/26/memory_price_hikes/
[15] https://www.theregister.com/2025/07/04/former_and_current_microsofties_react_layoffs/
[16] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/aiml&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44abraM7FIoWExEnS4KYOvHAAAAQo&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[17] https://www.theregister.com/2026/03/13/organizational_changes_at_microsoft_as/
[18] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Re: At what point...
Yorick Hunt
Never.
The more bloated their bank balance is, the more they want to inflate it.
These creatures don't conform to nature - to them, greed and gluttony are the commandments.
JessicaRabbit
You misspelled Microslop.
"Microsoft has rearranged the deckchairs on the RMS Copilot"
Dan 55
If Copilot would like to be an RMS ( [1]meaning Royal Mail Ship ). If it were a ship it would be [2]that US aircraft carrier with blocked toilets and fires breaking out on it .
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ship_prefix
[2] https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/mar/18/onboard-fire-uss-gerald-ford-aircraft-carrier
Re: "Microsoft has rearranged the deckchairs on the RMS Copilot"
Anonymous Coward
Boaty McCopilot?
Doctor Syntax
Is he being moved sideways to somewhere where he can't do any more damage but nobody's told him?
"focus on superintelligence"
Bebu sa Ware
A guaranteed way of becoming so cross-eyed you would be looking out your ears if not your arse.
A truly super·intelligent superintelligence would ensure prats like Suleyman & co. would never suspect even its existence.
I very much doubt that there is anyone in MS manglement and above who could recognise even simple intelligence not even if kicked them in the cods.
RMS Crapilot - Retails Moronic Shit ?
At what point...
...are quarterly results or steady growth deprioritized because executives don't see it being much longer until they can live forever within the machine?