Google cofounder Sergey Brin has officially stepped out of retirement and is now actively contributing daily to Google’s artificial intelligence development. Speaking during a surprise appearance at the Google I/O developer conference, Brin joined DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis to discuss his role in shaping Google’s future in generative AI.
Brin, 51, stepped away from Alphabet in 2019, but was drawn back in late 2022 after the launch of OpenAI’s ChatGPT, a moment he described as too significant to sit out. “Honestly, any computer scientist shouldn’t be retired right now,” Brin remarked in a live interview with Alex Kantrowitz, underscoring the historic opportunity AI presents.
Since 2023, Brin has taken a hands-on role in developing Google’s Gemini models, which the company hopes will be the first to achieve Artificial General Intelligence (AGI)—AI capable of performing any intellectual task a human can. “We fully intend that Gemini will be the very first AGI,” Brin asserted confidently.
This shift marks a dramatic change from his post-retirement activities, which included ventures like LTA Research, supporting Parkinson’s research, and investing in real estate. Now, he’s fully committed to one of the most critical tech races of our time.
Brin also highlighted the massive computing power required for these developments, admitting in 2024 that demand is so high, Google has had to decline cloud service requests due to limited resources.
For Brin, this AI revolution is more thrilling than anything he’s seen in his long career. “It’s the most exciting technological frontier I’ve ever encountered,” he concluded.
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