Google to combine DeepMind and AI research teams, says CEO Sundar Pichai

Mountain View: Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai has revealed significant organizational changes aimed at enhancing the pace of innovation across the company.

The restructuring focuses on consolidating artificial intelligence (AI) research and product development teams to expedite the introduction of groundbreaking technologies.

The key element of this restructuring involves integrating AI model-building initiatives from both Google Research and DeepMind under the DeepMind banner.

Pichai detailed this move in a blog post on Thursday, stating that the consolidation will centralize compute-intensive model training within a single entity. This will create streamlined channels for product teams to access the latest advancements in large language models and other core AI technologies.

"This will simplify development by concentrating compute-intensive model building in one place and establishing single access points for PAs looking to take these models and build generative AI applications," wrote Pichai.

With DeepMind taking on the responsibility of model building, Google Research will shift its focus to fundamental and applied research in computer science. This will encompass areas such as quantum computing, core machine learning, and the societal implications of emerging technologies.

The restructuring also seeks to bolster responsible AI practices across Google. Teams focused on ethical AI, previously part of Google Research, will now join DeepMind. Their role will be to integrate safety considerations at earlier stages of model development. Furthermore, trust and safety teams will be centralized to standardize AI assessment and implement “red team” testing procedures.

"We need to be the best in class at deploying accurate, trustworthy, and transparent AI products for users and customers. To help do this, we’re making changes to the way our Responsible AI teams work at crucial points in the development cycle," Pichai stated.

Another significant aspect of the reorganization is the creation of a new "Platforms & Devices" product division. This will unify Android, Chrome OS, Search, Photos, and other developer platforms with Google’s device engineering teams. The objective is to accelerate AI-driven innovations by integrating hardware, software, and machine learning within a single organization.

The new division will also incorporate experts in computational photography and on-device AI from Google Research. Rick Osterloh will lead the Platforms & Devices division, while Hiroshi Lockheimer, the longstanding head of Android, will transition to an advisory role before embarking on new initiatives.