New Delhi, June 6 -- Reid Hoffman, the venture capitalist and co-founder of LinkedIn, has announced his departure from Microsoft's board of directors later this year, citing a desire to dedicate his attention to a new artificial intelligence-focused drug-discovery venture. The announcement is a significant shift in Hoffman's portfolio of responsibilities and marks the end of a seven-year tenure at the technology giant following Microsoft's 2016 acquisition of the professional networking platform he created.

In a video statement distributed across his social media platforms, Hoffman outlined his reasoning for stepping back from the Microsoft board. Speaking directly about his involvement with Manas, an artificial intelligence startup focu...