In a strategic move to bolster its artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities, Google (NASDAQ:GOOGL), a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOGL), announced the merger of its research and DeepMind teams. The integration is aimed at streamlining the development of AI models within the company. Google’s responsible AI teams, which are dedicated to ensuring the creation of safe AI, will now operate under the DeepMind division to facilitate closer collaboration with teams building and scaling AI models.
The organizational change reflects Google’s commitment to addressing growing global concerns about AI safety and the growing need for regulatory oversight of the technology. DeepMind has been instrumental in driving Google’s AI efforts, having developed the sophisticated AI model Gemini. Introduced in late 2023, Gemini is capable of processing a variety of data types, including video, audio, and text. Despite its initial success in boosting Alphabet’s stock price, Gemini has faced criticism for errors in some of its historical images, prompting Google to suspend its image-generating feature.
The merger of Google Brain and DeepMind happened a year ago, sharpening the company’s AI focus and positioning it to compete with rivals like Microsoft (NASDAQ: NASDAQ:MSFT), which has ties to AI innovators like ChatGPT and Sora creator OpenAI. Additionally, Microsoft recently appointed DeepMind co-founder Mustafa Suleyman to lead its new consumer AI division.
Google’s consolidation comes amid a period of cost-cutting and job cuts, even as the tech giant continues to ramp up its investments in AI and automation. Google CEO Sundar Pichai has previously indicated plans to unveil a slew of new AI models through 2024. The company’s continued efforts to enhance its AI portfolio are being closely watched as it seeks to maintain a competitive edge in the rapidly evolving field of artificial intelligence.
Source: Investing
