Google announced a series of leadership changes affecting its artificial intelligence operations, effective immediately. Demis Hassabis, currently leading Google DeepMind, has been promoted to chair of Google DeepMind and chief scientist of parent company Alphabet. CEO Sundar Pichai made the announcement on Wednesday. Hassabis will maintain his role overseeing Isomorphic Labs, the company’s drug development division that leverages artificial intelligence.
Koray Kavukcuoglu, who previously served as DeepMind’s chief technology officer, has been elevated to senior vice president of DeepMind reporting directly to Pichai. Kavukcuoglu will additionally retain his position as Google’s chief AI architect. According to a staff message, Hassabis cited improvements to human health as a priority, expressing his focus on demonstrating AI’s potential to address major medical challenges. He indicated he would maintain involvement in strategic matters related to artificial general intelligence while supporting Kavukcuoglu and other DeepMind leadership.
The restructuring also includes the departure of two senior figures. Jeff Dean, who holds the title of chief scientist at Google DeepMind and was among Google’s earliest employees, is leaving the company along with Google Fellow Sanjay Ghemawat. The pair are founding Discovery Loop, a new artificial intelligence-focused public benefit corporation. Google has committed to serving as a founding investor in the venture.
Discovery Loop’s stated mission centers on creating AI-driven solutions for complex challenges in machine learning, science, and engineering. The company aims to accelerate the pace of scientific and engineering breakthroughs through artificial intelligence applications, with the goal of delivering technological solutions that enhance quality of life globally.
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