Google announces merging DeepMind and Research teams after unifying Pixel and Android teams

Google CEO Sundar Pichai announced a series of changes for the betterment of operations and accelerated advancements in AI.

In a message to employees, CEO Sundar Pichai highlighted the creation of a new “Platforms & Devices” unit, consolidating teams focused on hardware, software, and AI. This move is expected to improve product quality, speed up decision-making, and drive innovation across the Android and Chrome ecosystems.

Google DeepMind and Google Research are joining their teams to simplify development processes and concentrate resources for more powerful AI development. DeepMind will take the lead in model building, while Google Research will shift its focus to foundational computer science research.

Google is also integrating its Responsible AI teams within DeepMind to strengthen the feedback loop between model development, product creation, and user experience. The company is also implementing stricter launch requirements for AI-powered features and increasing investments in testing and evaluation procedures.

On the other hand, Google unified Android and Pixel teams as well. Google has announced a major restructuring of its hardware and software teams. The newly established ‘Platforms and Devices’ team, led by seasoned tech executive Rick Osterloh, will bring together Google’s Pixel devices and Android operating system under one umbrella.

Pichai emphasized Google’s open discussion culture and reminded employees of the company’s mission to organize the world’s information. These changes will help Google better serve its users while maintaining a professional work environment.

We have a duty to be an objective and trusted provider of information that serves all of our users globally. When we come to work, our goal is to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful. That supersedes everything else and I expect us to act with a focus that reflects that. 

More here.