On the morning of January 13, 2025, Microsoft Chairman and CEO Satya Nadella announced a groundbreaking development to employees: the launch of a new AI app stack aimed at driving “the next innings” in the AI platform. This major initiative will be spearheaded by Jay Parikh, an Indian-origin technology leader whom Nadella brought on board in 2024.
“As we begin the new year, it’s clear that we’re entering the next innings of this AI platform shift. 2025 will be about model-forward applications that reshape all application categories,” Nadella wrote in his communication to employees. According to him, this strategic shift has been in the making for over two years, signaling Microsoft’s dedication to staying ahead in AI innovation.
Nadella elaborated on the company’s vision to build what he described as “agentic applications.” These applications will be equipped with memory, entitlements, and action space, enabling them to leverage powerful model capabilities. “We will adapt these capabilities for enhanced performance and safety across roles, business processes, and industry domains,” he explained.
The initiative will bring together several critical units within the company, including the Dev Div, AI Platform, and select teams from the Office of the CTO, such as AI Supercomputer, AI Agentic Runtimes, and Engineering Thrive. Their combined mission is to develop a comprehensive Copilot and AI stack for both Microsoft’s first-party products and third-party customers. This robust stack will enable the creation and deployment of advanced AI apps and agents.
Nadella also emphasized the importance of GitHub Copilot, stating, “This group will also build out GitHub Copilot, thus having a tight feedback loop between the leading AI-first product and the AI platform to motivate the stack and its roadmap.”
At the forefront of this ambitious undertaking is Jay Parikh, who will serve as the Executive Vice President (EVP) of CoreAI – Platform and Tools. Parikh, a former executive at Meta, will lead a team that includes Eric Boyd, Jason Taylor, Julia Liuson, and Tim Bozarth, along with their respective teams. Nadella described Parikh’s role as pivotal in optimizing Microsoft’s tech stack for both performance and efficiency.
Parikh’s responsibilities extend beyond AI platform development. He and his team will also drive advancements in developer productivity and Engineering Thrive across Microsoft. Nadella highlighted the importance of this initiative, noting, “Our success in this next phase will be determined by having the best AI platform, tools, and infrastructure. We have a lot of work to do and a tremendous opportunity ahead, and together, I’m looking forward to building what comes next.”
Jay Parikh’s appointment to lead this transformative effort reflects Nadella’s confidence in his capabilities. In a blog post dated October 31, 2024, when Parikh was hired, Nadella praised his new recruit, saying he had long admired Parikh’s achievements as a technology leader.
Parikh boasts an impressive resume. He previously served as the global head of engineering at Facebook, now Meta, and was most recently the CEO of Lacework, a cloud security company. Nadella highlighted Parikh’s unique blend of experience in building and scaling technical teams that cater to both commercial customers and consumers.
“His deep connections across the start-up and VC ecosystems, coupled with his leadership roles at Akamai and Ning, will bring valuable perspective to Microsoft,” Nadella wrote in the earlier blog post.
As Microsoft embarks on this new chapter in AI innovation, the company’s leadership is focused on leveraging its existing strengths while adapting to emerging opportunities. The collaboration between teams and leaders under Parikh’s guidance underscores Microsoft’s commitment to building a robust AI platform for the future.