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Kieran Connell
- theme for GDM over the last couple of years: increasing bites out of Google
- Demis has been demonstrated success to Sundar, then Sundar asks what Demis needs
- brought challenges around GDM’s evolving culture and scale
- was previously 1500 ppl with mostly research and tiny product team
- now >5000 people: much more about products
- lots of growing pains. what does it mean to be a product-led organization, etc.
- caught up on leaderboards
- then ‘what’s the surface’? take in Bard / Gemini app
- many interesting challenges
- much more connected to the rest of Google
- GCP is route to market
- train different models at different sizes for different needs: more engineering now
- structured into units
- GenAI (Gemini models + associated work) - Kieran rolls up through platform team - developer story
- pure foundational research group - robotics team is within that
- science unit - alphafold, etc.
- Bard team
- used to have product team, but wasn’t the right shape - split across other units now
- his old boss: office of the CEO
- part of that team
- optimize for a global maximum
- trying to make sure GDM as a whole is success
- science team to how the models connect to bard the outlet, to renewed efforts around product incubation
- emphasis on last year is been on getting gemini unit to where it needs to be: they control the compute
- bard is least visibility: needs most attention from senior leadership
- people aren’t clamoring to use the app over ChatGPT
- realization within the company that it’s hard to make new products with new technology
- best next step: intro to old boss and exec sponsor
- in the office of the ceo
- director of special projects
- has full visibility
- focus on connection between model building and product building - optimizing for the company