Google consolidates AI research divisions into Google DeepMind

As Google looks to maintain pace in AI with the rest of the tech giants, it’s consolidating its AI research divisions.

Today Google announced Google DeepMind, a new unit made up of the DeepMind team and the Google Brain team from Google Research. In a blog post, DeepMind co-founder and CEO Demis Hassabis said that Google DeepMind will work “in close collaboration . . . across the Google product areas” to “deliver AI research and products.”

As a part of Google DeepMind’s formation, Google says that it’ll create a new scientific board to oversee research progress and the direction of the unit, which will be led by Koray Kavukcuoglu, VP of research at DeepMind. Eli Collins, VP of product at Google Research, will join Google DeepMind as VP of product, while Google Brain lead Zoubin Ghahramani will become a member of the Google DeepMind research leadership team, reporting to Kavukcuoglu.

Meanwhile, Jeff Dean, one of the co-founders of Google Brain, will take on the elevated role of chief scientist for both Google Research and Google DeepMind, reporting to Google CEO Sundar Pichai. Google Research will remain an independent division reporting to Google SVP of technology and society James Manyika and will focus on “fundamental advances in computer science across areas such as algorithms and theory, privacy and security, quantum computing, health, climate and sustainability and responsible AI.”