Inside information reports that Alex Kipman of Microsoft, who leads the teams that developed the company’s HoloLens augmented reality headset and motion controller Kinect for the Xbox and serves as one of Microsoft’s top technical staff, has resigned over allegations of verbal abuse and sexual harassment.
Microsoft would not immediately confirm or reject the report, but GeekWire He has already confirmed this by receiving an internal email from Microsoft cloud chief Scott Guthrie: “We mutually decided that this was the right time for him to leave the company to pursue other options,” he wrote. The note you can read on GeekWire, says nothing about the allegations and says Kipman will stay two more months to help with the transition. He also details the reorganization of Kipman’s entire mixed-reality division, with hardware teams joining Panos Panay’s Windows + Devices org.
According to internalAccording to sources, more than 25 Microsoft employees contributed to an internal report on alleged misconduct by Kipman, including cases of unwanted touching, as well as one time he allegedly watched obscene VR video in front of office employees.
Today’s report comes after the previous one Inside information a May 25 report in which dozens of employees told the paper about Kipman’s alleged behavior. Three employees said Inside information that they had been warned not to leave the women alone around Kipman. When Inside information at the time, Microsoft would not confirm or deny specific allegations of misconduct against women, but denied that Kipman had been escorted by human resources staff to meetings.
A former Microsoft CEO was so worried about Kipman’s behavior that he suggested that the COVID-19 epidemic had actually improved things: “The best thing that has unfortunately happened is the pandemic,” they told Insider. “So we never had to communicate with him in person.”
Kipman did not respond Inside informationRepeated requests for comment and he has not tweeted since May 23.
Kipman responded earlier in February Inside information a report suggesting that HoloLens is in a mess and that HoloLens 3 may have been canceled, saying “Don’t believe what you read on the Internet.” However, Insider was not the only publication that suggested some problems in the division: The Wall Street Journal announced in January that more than 70 Microsoft employees on the HoloLens team had left the company in 2021, with more than 40 joining Meta.
Microsoft relied heavily on HoloLens with the U.S. military, which ordered up to 120,000 IVAS soldiers’ headsets. The order will cost the company $ 21.88 billion over 10 years, but the military postponed the deal and the Pentagon’s audit was not very optimistic about the idea. “Receiving IVAS without consumer approval could result in a loss of up to $ 21.88 billion in taxpayers’ money to implement a system that soldiers may not want to use or use as intended,” said an April report. 2022 by the Chief Inspector of the Ministry of Defense (pdf). However, Guthrie said in a note that the military approved an operational test last month.
Regardless of the state of the Hololens program, Kipman is out.
Microsoft will not comment Inside information report.