The chief of Microsoft’s augmented reality division, Alex Kipman, has left the business following complaints of sexual harassment.
Alex Kipman, Microsoft’s head of augmented reality, has resigned from the business after female coworkers accused him of sexual harassment. Kipman oversaw the development of Microsoft’s HoloLens augmented reality headset and the Xbox Kinect motion controller. The report was corroborated by Insider.
Despite the fact that Microsoft hasn’t made a public statement on Kipman’s departure, Geekwire has received an internal email from Microsoft cloud chief Scott Guthrie. He announces Kipman’s departure in the email but makes no mention of sexual harassment. “Alex Kipman and I have been discussing the team’s future route for some months now. He stated in the letter, “We have mutually determined that now is the correct moment for him to depart the firm to seek other possibilities.”
Guthrie added:
“I appreciate the tremendous vision Alex has provided to Microsoft over the years, and all that he has done to advance our Metaverse offerings. Alex is committed to helping the teams with the transition process over the next two months and ensuring success before pursuing what is next for him,”
Over 25 Microsoft workers have submitted sexual misconduct allegations against Kipman, according to an Insider article. He was accused of inappropriate touching and was apparently caught watching virtual reality porn in front of coworkers. Some employees told Insider that they were advised not to leave female colleagues alone in the vicinity of Kipman.