Google announces Google DeepMind, a unit combining DeepMind's team and Google Research's Brain team, to be led by DeepMind co-founder Demis Hassabis as its CEO

Wall Street Journal 2023-04-22 Miles Kruppa

Context & Ripple Effects

The new unit reverses the organizational separation that had long defined DeepMind: earlier coverage described safeguards intended to limit Google's unilateral control of DeepMind IP, while the merger places its work alongside Google Research's Brain team under one CEO.

Follow-up reporting characterized the arrangement as Demis Hassabis trading DeepMind's independence for greater influence over Google's AI direction; later accounts describe the super-unit's shift from research toward products.

First-order effects

DeepMind and Google Research's Brain team now operate as Google DeepMind, with Demis Hassabis accountable for the combined organization.
Google concentrates two prominent AI research groups' leadership and work inside one unit, reducing the former separation between them.

Second-order effects

The combined unit gives Google a single focal point for allocating AI research priorities and translating work into company products, rather than coordinating across separate labs.
DeepMind's prior autonomy becomes less of a distinct organizational counterweight inside Google, consistent with reporting that Hassabis accepted less independence for a larger role in AI strategy.

Third-order effects

If this model persists, major technology companies may increasingly treat frontier AI labs as integrated product-and-research organizations rather than insulated research subsidiaries.
The trade-off between researcher autonomy and corporate control will become a defining governance issue as AI capabilities become more central to platform strategy.

The trend: This is one data point in the integration of elite AI research labs into the product, infrastructure, and strategic command structure of their parent companies.

Discussion

@demishassabis Demis Hassabis on x
The phenomenal teams from Google Research's Brain and @DeepMind have made many of the seminal research advances that underpin modern AI, from Deep RL to Transformers. Now we're joining forces as a single unit, Google DeepMind, which I'm thrilled to lead! https://dpmd.ai/...
@gordic_aleksa @gordic_aleksa on x
here we go again https://twitter.com/... https://twitter.com/...
@tunguz Bojan Tunguz on x
Big reorg. Google merged its two main artificial-intelligence research units, a major reshuffling as tech companies jockey for leadership in AI https://www.wsj.com/...
@deepmind @deepmind on x
We're proud to announce that DeepMind and the Brain team from @Google Research will become a new unit: 𝗚𝗼𝗼𝗴𝗹𝗲 𝗗𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗱. Together, we'll accelerate progress towards a world where AI can help solve the biggest challenges facing humanity. → https://dpmd.ai/...
@rowancheung Rowan Cheung on x
@SynthesisAI_ @DeepMind DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis will lead the new group, while former AI lead Jeff Dean will take on the chief scientist role. This is a huge development in the world of AI. Bringing together top AI talent is crucial for accelerating progress. https://twitter.…
@mer__edith Meredith Whittaker on x
You can tell Google has lost its edge because instead of vocally noting that Microsoft adding a chatbot that lies to search is the desperate flex of a second place contender, & does harm to people seeking real info, they gagged & blindly followed the frame set by Microsoft.
@stevesi Steven Sinofsky on x
Google forms an “internet division” https://twitter.com/...
@scobleizer Robert Scoble on x
Google making moves. It can make mistakes for years and still lay down something shocking. It has all my data. OpenAI doesn't. https://twitter.com/...
@zoubinghahrama1 Zoubin Ghahramani on x
Truly excited by the merger of Brain and DeepMind to form a new unit: Google DeepMind! Both organizations have a proud track record of AI breakthroughs. We are now combining our talent and resources to create further advances in AI research and AI products. https://twitter.com/..…
@keerthanpg Keerthana Gopalakrishnan on x
Turns out the mind and the brain after all one and the same 😅 I work at Deepmind now 🥰 https://twitter.com/...
@gordic_aleksa @gordic_aleksa on x
BIG NEWS: @DeepMind and @Google Brain just merged! The cumulative research output of these 2 orgs over the past decade shadows that of any other organization in the world. Closely watching the future output from Google :)) 🍿 https://twitter.com/...
@demishassabis Demis Hassabis on x
Working with all our fantastic colleagues across Google, we have an opportunity to build AI and ultimately AGI to benefit humanity. Looking forward to working with @JeffDean in his new role as Google's Chief Scientist. And excited for what we create next at Google DeepMind!
@jeremy_hunt Jeremy Hunt on x
This is a big development. It sounds very techy, but Google has just merged its two Artificial Intelligence research units into one...based in the UK. There is going to be lots of competition and a long way to go, but this is a significant step. https://www.wsj.com/...
@saranormous @saranormous on x
Code red, Google on the path! https://twitter.com/...
@hardmaru @hardmaru on x
Apparently, Google Brain team just merged with DeepMind. Google Brain + DeepMind = Google DeepMind 🤔 https://blog.google/...
@suhail @suhail on x
@stevesi Ship products not reorgs!
@taliaringer Talia Ringer on x
I just hope this doesn't mean that @GoogleAI goes further down the “AGI” rabbit hole which has so, so, so many problems (that it is not a thing, that it has a really awful and exclusionary and eugenicist history, that it is not a reasonable target for system design, and so on) ht…
@blackhc Andreas Kirsch on x
I at least am happy that my old Google DeepMind swag has sudden relevance again 😂 https://twitter.com/...
@stevesi Steven Sinofsky on x
Up to now, Google has not shown a unique point of view on evolution of AI. More pointedly, the company has mostly expressed concerns about the technology. Microsoft is at the other extreme with AI as a feature of every existing product—two sides of incumbent disruption.
@mileskruppa Miles Kruppa on x
Google is merging its two AI research units into something called “Google DeepMind” led by DeepMind co-founder and CEO Demis Hassabis https://www.wsj.com/...
@stshank Stephen Shankland on x
New “Google DeepMind” now in charge of unified AI work, led by Demis Hassabis. Jeff Dean, who'd led the other Google Research effort (and was involved with Timnit Gebru fiasco), gets a lateral move to chief scientist reporting to @sundarpichai. https://blog.google/...
@noahpinion Noah Smith on x
Facing unprecedented threats from non-Google entities, Google will ally with Google https://twitter.com/...
@deepmind @deepmind on x
This new unit will be led by @DemisHassabis and bring together our talent, infrastructure and resources to create the next generation of AI breakthroughs and products. ↓ https://twitter.com/...
@savvyrl Rosanne Liu on x
A personal update: I just joined Google Deepmind https://twitter.com/...
@koraykv Koray Kavukcuoglu on x
Looking forward to working with many brilliant research colleagues from across the @DeepMind & @Google Research Brain. Excited to join forces to accelerate progress towards a world where #AI helps solve humanity's biggest challenges https://www.deepmind.com/... https://twitter.co…
@gavinsblog Gavin Sheridan on x
Google starting to get their ducks in a row. https://twitter.com/...
@bennetttomlin @bennetttomlin on x
I was not aware these were separate teams https://twitter.com/...
@willoremus Will Oremus on x
Google just announced it's merging its top two AI research labs: London-based DeepMind, which it acquired in 2014, and Mountain View-based Google Brain. The merged team will be called Google DeepMind and be led by DeepMind CEO @demishassabis. https://blog.google/...
@drjimfan @drjimfan on x
Google Brain and DeepMind just merged to form one team. AI research can no longer be random acts of papers. Pooling talent and resources together is the best way of making impact now. Excited to see what's next. https://www.deepmind.com/...
@natfriedman Nat Friedman on x
Google Brain merges with DeepMind, under Demis's leadership. An excellent move by Google. https://twitter.com/...

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