After OpenAI’s dramatic leadership change last year, where we saw major names like Sam Altman briefly ousted and several top execs leaving the company, it now looks like Google’s AI division might be heading into some internal shifts of its own.
Sissie Hsiao, the executive behind Google’s consumer-facing AI products, including the chatbot Bard, now rebranded as Gemini, is stepping down from her current role.
Hsiao is being replaced by Josh Woodward, who currently leads Google Labs and is known for spearheading the launch of NotebookLM, an AI-powered tool focused on organizing and summarizing research material. In a staff memo (via Semafor.com) Hsiao referred to her work on Bard as “chapter 1” of the story, suggesting a new phase is coming for Google’s AI strategy.
Having joined Google back in 2006, Hsiao has had a long tenure, contributing to teams across Search, Docs, Analytics, and Ads, before becoming a key figure in the development of Google Assistant and eventually taking charge of Gemini. In December 2022, just after the rise of ChatGPT, she was given the daunting task of building Bard within a 100-day deadline, one of Google’s most high-pressure AI product launches to date.
However, unlike the string of high-profile exits seen at OpenAI, Hsiao isn’t leaving Google entirely. She’s taking a short break and will return to the company in a new capacity, though details on that role haven’t been shared yet.
Hsiao’s step back is also part of a broader restructuring of Google’s AI operations. Back in October 2024, the Gemini app team was moved under DeepMind, Google’s cutting-edge AI research lab. This consolidation indicates Google’s intention to integrate consumer product efforts more tightly with its core research teams, perhaps a move to stay ahead in a race that’s only getting more intense.
With pressure mounting from OpenAI, Anthropic, and other emerging players, Google is doing what it can to refocus, regroup, and stay competitive. With Woodward now in the driver’s seat, it’ll be interesting to see how the next chapter of Gemini unfolds and how Google positions itself in the fast-moving AI race.
Source: Reuters, Semafor.com
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