Google and DeepMind announced the formation of a new group, called Google DeepMind, that will combine the infrastructure and research of two entities within Alphabet for faster and stronger progress and collaboration.

Google Brain and Google Deep Mind

The announcement states that Google is combining the resources of two entities:

• Google Brain Unit by Google Research
• deep mind

DeepMind was an independent AI research company that Google acquired in 2014 and became a subsidiary of Alphabet.

Now the two units are being merged with a new management structure.

Google Research is a unit within Google that researches broad areas of technology and informatics such as health, sustainability, quantum computing and algorithms.

Google research remains the same, just without the Google Brain part, which has been focused on AI development and will now be part of the new Google DeepMind.

Sundar Pichai mentioned the mission of Google Research (which is separate from Google DeepMind):

“Google Research will continue its important work to drive fundamental advances in computing in areas such as algorithms and theory, privacy and security, quantum computing, health, climate and sustainability, and responsible AI, and will report alongside its existing technology to James Manyika & Society teams.”

The idea behind this step is to make the two units (Google Brain and DeepMind) more powerful and faster.

From the DeepMind announcement:

“DeepMind and the Google Research Brain team will merge into a single, focused entity called Google DeepMind.

The combination of our talents and efforts will accelerate our progress toward a world where AI helps solve mankind’s greatest challenges, and I’m incredibly excited to lead this unit and work with all of you to build it.”

Is Google DeepMind the Magi Task Force?

Google DeepMind isn’t the task force recently reported to be working on next-gen AI-powered search, codenamed Magi.

The focus of the new entity, called Google DeepMind, is broader and encompasses more than just one product.

Sundar Pichai’s announcement states that the first major products will be a series of “powerful” multi-modal AI models.

Multimodal AI refers to AI that encompasses more than just text content and is capable of working with visual, auditory, and even video input.

It is possible that the Magi Task Force is a part of Google DeepMind, but this was not discussed in the announcements from Alphabet’s Sundar Pichai, nor in the announcement on the DeepMind website.

Google DeepMind’s focus is to achieve maximum impact in the field of AI in a safe and responsible manner.

DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis shared the vision of the new Google DeepMind:

“…we have a real opportunity to provide AI research and products that will dramatically improve the lives of billions of people, transform industries, advance science and serve diverse communities.”

Read Sundar Pichai’s announcement:

Google DeepMind: Bringing together two world-class AI teams

Read DeepMind’s announcement:

Announcing Google DeepMind

Featured image from Shutterstock/rafapress