Baidu Inc (NASDAQ:BIDU), China’s largest online search engine, announced that it its COO and leading artificial intelligence expert Lu Qi is stepping down.
The former Microsoft Inc (NASDAQ:MSFT) executive joined Baidu last January to build up its AI projects but will be leaving his position in China to spend more time with his family in the U.S. Lu will continue to serve as the vice-chairman of the board of directors.
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“For my next steps, I plan to work in research and investment areas, to help advance our shared mission to make a complex world simpler through technology,” said Lu in a press statement.
Haifeng Wang, the vice president and head of the AI technologies platform, will take Lu’s place.
The Beijing-based company is no stranger to a leadership shake-up after losing its chief scientist Andrew Ng last March.
Baidu received approval in March to begin testing its autonomous vehicles on the streets of Beijing’s suburbs.
Shares of the company plummeted more than 6% to US$261.67 in Friday morning trading.