Thomas Domke, the chief executive officer (CEO) of Microsoft (MS)'s coding collaboration platform GitHub, is set to leave the company, according to a report by the U.S. internet media Axios on the 11th.
In a blog post that day, Domke noted that he would be leaving GitHub, which he has led for about four years, and expressed his gratitude to employees, saying, "It has been the best journey of my life."
He said he would remain with GitHub until the end of this year and plans to start a business after leaving.
GitHub is a platform that provides an online workspace for developers to code and collaborate.
Since being acquired by MS in 2018 for $7.5 billion (10.4 trillion won), it has operated relatively independently. However, after Domke's resignation, GitHub will be integrated into MS's Core AI team.
With the rise of generative AI, GitHub has become one of the key hubs for developers worldwide. It is increasingly playing an important role in the strategy to attract developers through MS's Windows and Azure platforms and AI tool suite.
The reason for Domke's resignation is not known. His resignation comes amid intensifying competition for AI tools for developers.
GitHub adopted AI technology that can automate parts of software development early on. However, competition surrounding AI models for developers is becoming fierce as Google, Anthropic, OpenAI, and AI coding tool maker Aneeshpere have successively launched AI products.
GitHub was the first among MS departments to implement its AI model, "Copilot," and MS is expecting future revenue growth through Copilot.
Domke said, "Currently, GitHub has over 1 billion code repositories and more than 150 million developers, and it is stronger than ever," adding, "Thanks to your continuous efforts, GitHub Copilot has brought the most significant change in software development since the advent of personal computers."
In a blog post last week, he mentioned that rapid changes are approaching the developer profession due to AI, stating, "The role of software developers is on the path of significant change."