Alphabethas merged the UK-based DeepMind and US-headquartered Google Brain into a singleAIresearch unit.
Imaginatively named Google DeepMind, the new group unites two camps that haddeveloped an internal rivalry.
After earning degrees in computer science and cognitive neuroscience,Hassabis co-foundedDeepMind in 2010.
JoiningHassabis at the new unit is Jeff Dean, who co-founded Google Brain.
Dean will serve as Chief Scientist at both Google Research and Google DeepMind, and report directly to Pichai.
The AI competition
The merger comes at a turbulent time for Googles AI efforts.
Despite rearing a raft of research breakthroughs, the company has been shaken by the explosive emergence of OpenAI.
The November release of ChatGPTreportedlyled Google management to issue a code red about the techgiant search engine business.
To add insult to injury, ChatGPT isbased on an architecture developed by Google Brain thetransformer.
By combining the two research units, Google hopes to convert the science into products and services.
The move has already received support in DeepMinds home country.
In the UK, government officials were quick to welcome the merger.
This is a big development,tweetedChancellor Jeremy Hunt.
Story byThomas Macaulay
Thomas is the managing editor of TNW.
He leads our coverage of European tech and oversees our talented team of writers.
Away from work, he e(show all)Thomas is the managing editor of TNW.
He leads our coverage of European tech and oversees our talented team of writers.
Away from work, he enjoys playing chess (badly) and the guitar (even worse).
