Google is reorganizing major elements of its structure, combining Android and hardware teams into a new “Platforms and Devices” team.
According to The Verge, the new team will oversee Android, Pixel, Chrome, ChromeOS, Photos, and more, with Rick Osterloh overseeing it. The outlet reports that AI is the driving motivation behind the shakeup.
“This is not a secret, right?” Osterloh reportedly said. The move “helps us to be able to do full-stack innovation when that’s necessary.”
“You had to have deep knowledge of the hardware systems, from the sensors to the ISPs, to all layers of the software stack,” Osterloh continued, speaking of the Pixel. “And, at the time, all the early HDR and ML models that were doing camera processing… and I think that hardware / software / AI integration really showed how AI could totally transform a user experience. That was important. And it’s even more true today.”
Hearing Osterloch talk, one could be forgiven for thinking he was an Apple executive. Apple has long touted the benefits of controlling the entire stack, with an emphasis on deep integration between hardware and software. It seems Google recognizes the value of that approach and is reorganizing accordingly.