Mustafa Suleyman
TL;DR Mustafa Suleyman is a prominent AI entrepreneur and policy thinker, known for co-founding DeepMind and leading major efforts to bring AI safely and responsibly into global products and institutions.
Mustafa Suleyman is one of the most influential figures in modern artificial intelligence, recognized for his work at the intersection of cutting-edge technology, ethics, and global policy. As a co-founder of DeepMind and later a senior leader at both Google and Microsoft, Suleyman has played a central role in shaping how advanced AI systems are built, deployed, and governed. His career is marked not only by technological ambition, but by a sustained focus on safety, oversight, and the societal impact of AI.
Born in London to a British-Afghan family, Mustafa Suleyman began his career in public service and community organizing, co-founding the Muslim Youth Helpline before transitioning into technology. His interest in ethics and human systems would later become a defining theme in his approach to AI.
In 2010, he co-founded DeepMind alongside Demis Hassabis and Shane Legg, helping establish the company as a global leader in machine learning and reinforcement learning research. As Head of Applied AI, Suleyman spearheaded efforts to deploy DeepMind’s technology in real-world settings, including healthcare, energy efficiency, and operations optimization. He later built and led DeepMind’s ethics team, shaping early conversations around responsible AI.
After leaving DeepMind, Suleyman joined Google as Vice President of AI Product Management and Policy, where he worked on large-scale AI strategy, safety, and governance. In 2023, he became CEO of Microsoft AI, overseeing consumer-facing AI products including Copilot and frontier-model integration across Microsoft’s ecosystem. His leadership emphasizes practical deployment of AI balanced with strong norms around transparency, accountability, and long-term risk.
Suleyman is also the author of The Coming Wave, a widely discussed book exploring the risks and transformative potential of advanced AI, synthetic biology, and other breakthrough technologies. His voice remains highly influential in framing global debates on AI safety and the need for proactive governance.
Co-founder of DeepMind, one of the world’s leading AI research organizations
Head of Applied AI at DeepMind, bringing cutting-edge AI systems into real-world impact
Founder of DeepMind’s ethics and safety initiatives, shaping early responsible-AI frameworks
Vice President of AI at Google, guiding large-scale AI policy and product development
CEO of Microsoft AI, leading the company’s consumer AI strategy and deployment
Author of The Coming Wave, a major work on AI risk, governance, and the future of transformative technologies
Early career social-impact leader, co-founding the Muslim Youth Helpline