Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai has unveiled a new business division focused on advancing the next generation of artificial intelligence (AI) breakthroughs and products.
Google research’s brain team merges with DeepMind
The new entity, Google DeepMind, was established through the merger of the Brain team from Google Research and DeepMind, a London-based AI company that Google acquired in 2014. The main objective of the new unit is to hasten the development of AI in a secure and responsible manner.
Pichai’s vision for unifying Google’s AI expertise into a single dedicated team is to “significantly accelerate our progress in AI.” Jeff Dean, the chief scientist for Google Research and Google DeepMind, will report directly to Pichai and has been entrusted with the creation of a series of potent, multimodal AI models.
Addressing AI concerns and commitment to responsible development
In response to concerns raised by figures such as Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who claims AI could threaten civilization, Pichai clarified the purpose of the new unit: “To ensure the bold and responsible development of general AI, we’re creating a unit that will help us build more capable systems more safely and responsibly.” Pichai stated that the unit’s developments would be used to improve Google products, although specific details are yet to be revealed.
A recent survey of 11,004 U.S. citizens indicated significant apprehensions about the potential impact of AI on the workforce. While 56% of respondents believed that AI would greatly influence the U.S. economy, only 13% thought that “AI will help more than hurt” American workers.