Just a day after it opened an augmented reality lab, China\u2019s internet giant Baidu has beefed up on its AI talent after it announced the hiring of former Microsoft executive Qi Lu as group president and COO.
Baidu is best known for its search engine, which dominates in China, but over the past two years it has put focus on developing artificial intelligence, which includes self-driving cars and more. In that respect, the hiring of Lu \u2014 who exited Microsoft last year on medical grounds \u2014 is a major coup.
Lu most recently ran Microsoft\u2019s applications and services business, and previously headed up the Redmond-based company\u2019s search division having joined in 2009 following an 11-year stint with Yahoo. Fun fact: While with Microsoft, he championed a bid for Slack , but ultimately CEO Satya Nadella and co-founder Bill Gates decided against it.
At Baidu, Lu will be responsible for products, technology, sales, marketing and operations, and particularly lend his expertise to the company\u2019s AI push.
Lu, who holds a PhD in computer science from Carnegie Mellon and has over 40 U. S. patents in his name, joins a team that includes former Coursera chairman Andrew Ng, who is chief scientist at the Baidu Research center in Silicon Valley.
\u201cDr. Lu possesses a wealth of leadership and management experience, and is a leading authority in the area of artificial intelligence,\u201d Baidu chairman and CEO Robin Li said in a statement.
\u201cTo achieve our goals, especially in artificial intelligence, which is a key strategic focus for the next decade, we will need to continue attracting the best global talent. With Dr. Lu on board, we are confident that our strategy will be executed smoothly and Baidu will become a world-class technology company and global leader in AI,\u201d Li added.<\/p>\n