Google CEO Sundar Pichai announced a significant leadership change at the tech giant on Thursday. Nick Fox, a longtime Google executive, will take over as the new head of the company's crucial search and advertising division, replacing Prabhakar Raghavan.
Raghavan, who has led Google's search and ads business since 2018, will transition to the newly created role of Chief Technologist. In this position, he'll work closely with Pichai and other Google leaders to provide technical direction and foster a culture of technological excellence.
Fox, who has been with Google for over two decades, will now lead the Knowledge and Information division, overseeing the company's search, ads, and commerce products. He has played a key role in shaping Google's AI product roadmap and has experience across various facets of the company, including product and design for Google Assistant.
The reorganization extends beyond the search and ads division. The team responsible for the Gemini app, Google's consumer-facing AI product, will be integrated into Google DeepMind under AI chief Demis Hassabis. This move aims to streamline feedback loops and accelerate the deployment of new AI models.
Additionally, the Google Assistant teams focused on devices and home experiences will be moved to the Platforms and Devices unit to align more closely with the products they're developing.
These changes come as Google faces increasing competition in the AI space and ongoing antitrust scrutiny of its search and advertising practices. The reshuffling appears to be part of Google's strategy to maintain its edge in AI development and application across its product lineup.