Microsoft has shut down its Airsim and Bonsai projects, two industrial metaverse initiatives. The company is reportedly shifting its focus to AI in the near term.

Highlights

• Microsoft has shut down its Airsim and Bonsai projects, two industrial metaverse initiatives.
• The company is reportedly shifting its focus to AI in the near term.
• This is not the first time Microsoft has shut down industrial metaverse projects.
• The closure of the Airsim and Bonsai projects is a sign that the company is still grappling with how to best develop the metaverse.

Details

Microsoft's Airsim project was developing AI-based drone simulation software for the industrial metaverse. The Bonsai project was aimed at building autonomous systems for industrial use using AI. Both projects were part of Microsoft's industrial metaverse initiative, which was launched in 2017.

Microsoft announced the closure of the Airsim and Bonsai projects in October 2023. The company said that it was shifting its focus to AI in the near term and that it would continue to invest in Azure as the computing platform that powers the industrial metaverse.

Microsoft did not disclose how many people were laid off as a result of the closure of the Airsim and Bonsai projects. However, Business Insider reported that the Airsim team was laid off in its entirety.

The closure of the Airsim and Bonsai projects is a sign that Microsoft is still grappling with how to best develop the metaverse. The company has previously shut down other industrial metaverse projects, and it is now shifting its focus to AI.

Microsoft's decision to focus on AI is not surprising. AI is a rapidly growing field with a wide range of applications, including the metaverse. Microsoft is already a leader in AI, and it is investing heavily in the field.

It is unclear what the long-term implications of Microsoft's decision to shift its focus from the industrial metaverse to AI will be. However, it is clear that the company is still trying to figure out how to best develop the metaverse.