Microsoft has recently made a significant move in expanding its presence in the AI market by striking a multiyear partnership with French AI startup, Mistral. This partnership marks a second major AI agreement for Microsoft beyond OpenAI, as the company continues to invest in the rapidly growing industry.
The deal includes Microsoft taking a minor stake in Mistral and making the company’s open and commercial language models available on its Azure AI platform. Mistral’s models will be the second commercial offering on Azure, following OpenAI’s GPT-4.
This collaboration will not only allow Microsoft to offer a variety of AI models beyond its partnership with OpenAI, but also help Mistral in bringing its AI models to market. The partnership will also include a research and development collaboration to build applications for governments across Europe and address public sector-specific needs.
As the AI industry continues to grow and evolve, Microsoft’s strategic partnership with Mistral is a clear indication of the company’s commitment to staying at the forefront of this technological revolution.