US technology giant Google announced on Friday that it plans to restructure its artificial intelligence (AI) teams.
Google's chief executive, Sundar Pichai, has announced a significant reorganization of its leadership and operational divisions to accelerate its development of AI.
This restructuring will streamline the company's operations and includes the establishment of a new team called platforms and devices."
The team will oversee Google's Pixel products, Android, Chrome, ChromeOS, Photos, and more. Rick Osterloh, who previously managed Google's hardware efforts, will lead the team.
Hiroshi Lockheimer, who was in charge of Android, Chrome, and ChromeOS, will now focus on other projects within Google and Alphabet.
According to Lockheimer, merging teams has been in the works for over two years, and the change is not due to internal power struggles. This restructuring aligns with Google's ongoing efforts to focus its operations around AI technology, he said.
Osterloh emphasized that AI is the key factor behind bringing together Google's consumer hardware and software engineers in an interview with The Verge.
He highlighted the growing importance of AI in phone technology, pointing to the Pixel camera's use of AI for features like enhancing night-time photos and selecting the best shots.
Osterloh explained that merging the teams would enable Google to accelerate its integration of AI into its features. He noted the importance of understanding not just the hardware and software systems but also the early AI models used for image processing while reflecting on the development of the Pixel camera.
Osterloh stressed the transformative potential of AI in enhancing user experiences, particularly in today's context.
This restructuring aims to simplify Google's organization, boost its product innovation speed, and facilitate faster decision-making processes, he said.
It is an essential step toward achieving Google's vision of becoming a more AI-centric company and staying ahead of the curve in the tech industry, he added.