Google launches new 'Platforms & Devices' division to consolidate Pixel, Android, Chrome, and Google Photos teams into one

Google CEO Sundar Pichai has announced that the company will create a new division called ' Platforms and Devices ' that will bring together all of Google's Pixel products, Android, Chrome, ChromeOS, Google Photos, etc. The division will be led by Rick Osterloh, who previously oversaw Google's hardware division.

Building for our AI future

https://blog.google/inside-google/company-announcements/building-ai-future-april-2024/

Google's newly formed platforms and devices team is all about AI - The Verge
https://www.theverge.com/2024/4/18/24133881/google-android-pixel-teams-reorg-rick-osterloh

Osterloh said AI was the reason for the reorganization, and that combining the teams will allow the company to innovate full-stack when needed.

Excited to take on this new challenge and accelerate AI innovation across the Android ecosystem, I look forward to working with @Cristianoamon and his team and increasing our strategic collaboration with @Qualcomm and @Snapdragon for Android, not just in mobile but across…

— Rick Osterloh (@rosterloh) April 18, 2024

For example, developing the Pixel camera required deep knowledge of the hardware system, from the sensor to the ISP to every layer of the software stack. Osterloh said the integration of hardware, software and AI shows the potential for AI to completely transform the user experience.

Osterloh also gives GPUs as another example. GPUs are a crucial component for AI and deep learning workloads. Training and inference of AI models requires massive parallel computation, and GPUs excel in that regard. Google has developed its own AI hardware and software, including TensorFlow and TPU . To compete with NVIDIA, which has an overwhelming presence in the AI field, Osterloh says Google will closely integrate its hardware and software, and keep track of each other's trends to enable rapid improvements.

Osterloh also said the restructuring will allow Google to significantly accelerate the integration of AI into all of its products, allowing it to quickly take advantage of the latest research and models from Google DeepMind and develop new applications faster.

Meanwhile, Google has for many years clearly separated its hardware division from its Android team to avoid favoring its own Pixel devices or complicating relationships with Android partners such as Samsung. The Verge, an IT news site, points out that 'there are concerns that this merger will favor Google's own Pixel and worsen relationships with other Android manufacturers,' but Osterloh denies this concern, saying, 'Android and our relationships with our Pixel ecosystem partners will continue to be maintained.'

Osterloh said priorities like Pixel, Chrome and Android won't change, but overall, the pace of daily meetings will definitely change as they aim to bring everything up to speed.