Microsoft eyeing startup deals for life after OpenAI

Microsoft  is shopping for artificial-intelligence startups as the software company prepares for a future independent of its once-vital partner OpenAI, five people familiar with the matter said. 

Why it matters

The potential acquisitions could help the company stock up on AI talent and deliver on its stated goal of building a cutting-edge AI model by next year, three of the people said. Microsoft is eyeing deals in an increasingly heated market. AI researchers can easily command tens of millions of dollars or more in compensation.