Sergey Brin returns to Google

Co-founder Sergey Brin has resigned and left Google for many years, but has just returned with the goal of building a super AI called Gemini.

According to the WSJ , Sergey Brin , who along with Larry Page founded Google in 1998 and both left the leadership position in 2019, has been visiting the company's headquarters in Mountain View, California about 3-4 days a week for the past few months. His new goal is to join researchers in driving the development of the next big artificial intelligence system.

Sergey Brin. Photo: Reuters

Sources say Brin started attending AI meetings at the offices of Alphabet, Google's parent company, late last year, but the frequency and intensity of his participation has increased dramatically recently. Before that, after quitting all positions at the company he founded, Brin did not participate in internal activities, except for projects on hot air balloons or disaster assistance.

Brin is said to be with the team developing a large language model called Gemini. In it, the group mainly discussed technical, like how to measure the performance of AI programs in real time. He also intervenes in personnel matters in this area, including recruiting top researchers.

Brin's growing presence at Google reflects the company's emphasis on AI - an area where Google is way ahead of its competitors, lagging behind rivals in turning ideas into products for end users. The search firm has been working on artificial intelligence for a long time, but was surpassed by the startup OpenAI.

Gemini is Google's attempt at a multi-purpose AI model that competes with OpenAI 's GPT-4 . According to a source, during a recent internal meeting, Demis Hassabis, who is in charge of overseeing the project, said Gemini could be introduced this year.

Brin's new role

Brin is said to have spent most of his time sitting with AI researchers at the newly built Charleston East building, a few minutes' walk from the center of the Google office. CEO Sundar Pichai also frequents the area.

When they left Google four years ago, Brin and Page said they would only "give advice and love, but not the daily nagging." However, his return shows that the new role is more important than that. Pichai is also said to be excited about Brin's involvement and has encouraged the co-founder's new contributions.

Google got off to a good start in artificial intelligence when it founded a research unit in the field in 2011 called Google Brain. But before the development was too fast, Pichai decided to merge this unit with DeepMind, an AI research company that operates independently under the umbrella of Alphabet. The move also elevates Hassabis, the co-founder of DeepMind, to the new team leader.

According to sources, the majority of research members accept Brin's presence, considering it a "useful intervention" for the transition period after merging the two AI teams. The company representative said that he has no official role at the company, other than being a co-founder and an advisor on the board of directors.

Sergey Brin (second from left) takes a photo at Google headquarters in March. Photo: Luxembourg Ministry of Foreign Affairs

In March, Brin appeared in photos taken at Google headquarters with Pichai and Kent Walkerm, Google's president of global affairs, during a visit by the Luxembourg prime minister. He wore gray sweatpants and a black long-sleeved shirt, while the others wore suits.

Initially, Brin was said to not take the Google Brain team seriously, even doubting what the team would do. "Honestly, I didn't pay attention to it at all," he said at the 2017 World Economic Forum. "But a few years later, the team's achievements made me reverse my mind."

When he returned, Brin mainly focused on human resources, while a series of other large technology companies were also vying for AI talent. Meanwhile, despite being one of the world's most respected computer scientists, Brin doesn't seem to be keeping up with the most recent developments in AI. "He didn't make a significant contribution to coding for the projects," a Google insider said.

Bao Lam (according to WSJ )

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