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Google on Thursday announced engineering VP Marian Croak would oversee its work in responsible AI.
In an email, Croak said the reorganization would give Google an overarching focus on this work.
The reorg comes after weeks of internal turmoil following the ousting of the ethicist Timnit Gebru.
Google on Thursday announced it had appointed Marian Croak, the vice president of engineering, to oversee the company s artificial-intelligence research after weeks of turmoil within the division.
In an email sent to staff, which was obtained by Insider, Croak said the reorganization would give Google an overarching focus on its work in responsible AI, the field of study to develop artificial intelligence that is beneficial to society and to avoid harmful outcomes.
Astro Teller, left, and Larry Page. Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images; Justin Sullivan/Getty Images; Loon/Alphabet; Emmanuel Dunand/AFP/Getty Images; Samantha Lee/Insider This story is available exclusively to Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now.
In January, Alphabet announced it would shutter its internet balloon business, Loon.
It followed years of inflating costs and geopolitical headaches for the team.
Meanwhile, the company tried to conjure new ways to make money from cruise liners, offshore oil rigs, and more.
For years, images of Loon s stratospheric balloons could be spotted throughout Google s campuses. Employees pitching to advertising clients would sometimes slip in a picture or mention of the project in their otherwise dull, statistic-heavy decks. Occasionally, a balloon could be spotted drifting across the presentation welcoming new employees to the company.
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Big tech companies have a lot of potential to disrupt the healthcare industry.
But companies like Alphabet and Amazon face challenges internally when standing up a health bet.
That s largely because it creates tension with the corporate team and main products.
Big Tech is disrupting the healthcare industry. That s the expectation at least.
As industry outsiders, companies like Alphabet, Amazon, and Microsoft have the potential to help fix a healthcare system that is messy, wasteful, and wildly expensive in a way insiders can t. Whether it s funding startups, building wearables, or powering research on the cloud, they re trying to shake up the $3.8 trillion industry. The pandemic has only helped them make inroads.