As DeepMind comes under Google’s stewardship, we take a look at its leader and why he took the job
Alphabet has confirmed its subsidiary DeepMind will be merged with Google Brain, the company’s research wing, to form a single unit to be led by current DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis.
The new joint group will be called Google DeepMind, and represents a new consolidation of AI research as the firm works harder to maintain its AI title against rivals OpenAI and Microsoft.
Hassabis, who co-founded DeepMind in 2010 and has served as its chief executive since, will now lead a larger team and shape Google AI policy and strategy more fully.
He has stressed the potential for AI to “transform industries” and improve lives, and through DeepMind he’s targeted a future in which businesses can utilize general AI to enrich activities.
“By creating Google DeepMind, I believe we can get to that future faster,” wrote (opens in new tab) Hassabis.
“Building ever more capable and general AI, safely and responsibly, demands that we solve some of the hardest scientific and engineering challenges of our time. For that, we need to work with greater speed, stronger collaboration and execution, and to simplify the way we make decisions to focus on achieving the biggest impact.”
That Google has kept the DeepMind name and retained Hassabis could indicate that he will run the new division in much the same way he has led his company since its inception.
To date, DeepMind has been able to operate with its own ethics reviews and reduced pressure from parent company Alphabet, and has long advocated for cautious development.
