Google Shakes Up Gemini Leadership: NotebookLM Creator Josh Woodward Takes the Helm

Google shakes up Gemini leadership, Google Labs head taking the reins

On the heels of releasing its most capable AI model yet, Google is making some changes to the Gemini team. A new report from Semafor reveals that longtime Googler Sissie Hsiao will step down from her role leading the Gemini team effective immediately. In her place, Google is appointing Josh Woodward, who currently leads Google Labs. According to a memo from DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis, this change is designed to "sharpen our focus on the next evolution of the Gemini app." This new responsibility won't take Woodward away from his role at Google Labs -- he will remain in charge of that division while leading the Gemini team. Meanwhile, Hsiao says in a message to employees that she is happy with "Chapter 1" of the Bard story and is optimistic for Woodward's "Chapter 2." Hsiao won't be involved in Google's AI efforts for now -- she's opted to take some time off before returning to Google in a new role. Hsiao has been at Google for 19 years and was tasked with building Google's chatbot in 2022. At the time, Google was reeling after ChatGPT took the world by storm using the very transformer architecture that Google originally invented. Initially, the team's chatbot efforts were known as Bard before being unified under the Gemini brand at the end of 2023. This process has been a bit of a slog, with Google's models improving slowly while simultaneously worming their way into many beloved products. However, the sense inside the company is that Gemini has turned a corner with 2.5 Pro. While this model is still in the experimental stage, it has bested other models in academic benchmarks and has blown right past them in all-important vibemarks like LM Arena.

Google's NotebookLM leader is taking over as head of the Gemini app

Emma Roth is a news writer who covers the streaming wars, consumer tech, crypto, social media, and much more. Previously, she was a writer and editor at MUO. Sissie Hsaio, the Google exec who oversaw the launch of the company's AI chatbot, is stepping down as head of the Gemini app, according to a report from Semafor. A memo seen by the outlet reveals that Google Labs vice president Josh Woodward will take her place. In the memo, Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis said the move will "sharpen our focus on the next evolution of the Gemini app," reports Semafor. Google spokesperson Alex Joseph confirmed Semafor's reporting but declined to comment. Hsaio has worked at Google for nearly 20 years, first joining the company in 2006 as a product manager for Search and Docs. Google appointed Hsaio as the head of Gemini apps in 2021, where she most notably helped launch the company's answer to ChatGPT, originally called Bard. Hsaio's memo said she will take a "short break" coming back to Google in a new position, Semafor reports. As noted by Semafor, Woodward will remain the head of Google Labs "while shaping the next chapter of Gemini." Woodward helped develop NotebookLM, Google's AI-powered note-taking app, which features an Audio Overview tool that transforms research into a podcast with two AI "hosts." Google has since brought NotebookLM to its One AI Premium subscription and now lets users make AI podcasts from Gemini's Deep Research, too.

Google Gemini executive Sissie Hsiao to step down

April 2 (Reuters) - Alphabet's (GOOGL.O), opens new tab Google is replacing Sissie Hsiao, who led the development of the artificial intelligence chatbot Bard, now known as Gemini, the company told staff in its AI division on Wednesday. Hsiao will step down immediately, a company spokesperson confirmed. Josh Woodward, who leads Google Labs and oversaw the launch of NotebookLM -- the company's popular tool that can turn text into a podcast-like show -- will replace her. Hsiao plans to take a short break and return to Google in a new role, the spokesperson said. She did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Demis Hassabis, CEO of Google DeepMind, said the move will help the company to focus on the evolution of the Gemini app, according to a Semafor report, which first reported on the move, citing a memo. Woodward will retain his role as head of Google Labs while shaping the next chapter of Gemini, the spokesperson said. Last year, Google shifted the team behind the Gemini app to its AI research lab, DeepMind, as the search giant looked to streamline its structure and better position itself in the generative AI race. Reporting by Jaspreet Singh in Bengaluru and Kenrick Cai in San Francisco; Editing by Alan Barona Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab Suggested Topics:Artificial Intelligence

Gemini app gets new boss as it enters 'chapter 2'

Google is replacing the executive in charge of the consumer-facing Gemini app since its inception, with the new boss a familiar face. According to Semafor, Sissie Hsiao (left, above) is leaving her role as Vice President and General Manager, Gemini app and Speech. She has been at Google since 2006 working on Search, Docs, Analytics, and Advertising before taking on Google Assistant in 2021 and then Gemini. Hsiao will remain at the company and take on a new role in the near future. In December of 2022, she was given a hundred days to build Bard as detailed in a recent Wired profile. In a memo, Hsiao describes that period until today as "chapter 1" and what's next as "chapter 2": Hsiao, in a separate staff memo, called her time as head of the team "chapter 1'' of the Bard story, and said she was optimistic in handing the baton to Woodward for "chapter 2." Hsiao plans to take a "short break" and return to Google in a new role. In October of 2024, the Gemini app was moved from Knowledge & Information (or the Search, Maps, etc. division) to Google DeepMind. At the time, CEO Sundar Pichai said this will "improve feedback loops, enable fast deployment of our new models in the Gemini app, make our post-training work proceed more efficiently and build on our great product momentum. " Josh Woodward (right, above) is taking over Hsiao's role, while remaining VP of Google Labs, which is responsible for NotebookLM, the Project Mariner browser agent, and other experimental AI products. This March, the Project Astra product team was moved from DeepMind's broader research arm to the Gemini app division. Those two teams have been working together from the start, and this move will accelerate product development. Meanwhile, the Gemini app got a new Vice President of Product. This was a hire from Meta that has a track record of shipping products. Google DeepMind boss Demis Hassabis said today's change will "sharpen our focus on the next evolution of the Gemini app." Specifically:

NotebookLM creator now runs Google's Gemini

Google is shaking up its AI leadership, with Josh Woodward replacing Sissie Hsaio as the head of the Gemini app, according to Semafor. The move signals a strategic shift as Google gears up for what it calls the "next evolution" of its AI chatbot. Sissie Hsaio, who spearheaded the launch of Google's Gemini AI chatbot (formerly Bard), is stepping down after nearly two decades with the company. According to Semafor, a memo from Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis indicates the change is aimed at sharpening focus on the Gemini app's future development. Google spokesperson Alex Joseph confirmed the leadership change to Semafor but offered no further comment. Hsaio's tenure at Google began in 2006, and she assumed the role of head of Gemini apps in 2021. Semafor reports that Hsaio will take a "short break" before returning to Google in a new role. Josh Woodward, currently the VP of Google Labs, will retain his position while leading Gemini. Semafor notes that he previously developed NotebookLM, Google's AI-powered note-taking application. NotebookLM, featuring an Audio Overview tool, had been integrated into Google's One AI Premium subscription. Users now have the capability to create AI podcasts from Gemini's Deep Research.

Google Gemini executive Sissie Hsiao to step down

Google is replacing Sissie Hsiao, who led the development of AI chatbot Gemini, with Josh Woodward. Hsiao plans a short break before returning to Google in a new role. The shift aims to focus on Gemini's evolution, with Woodward also leading Google Labs.Alphabet's Google is replacing Sissie Hsiao, who led the development of the artificial intelligence chatbot Bard, now known as Gemini, the company told staff in its AI division on Wednesday. Hsiao will step down immediately, a company spokesperson confirmed. Josh Woodward, who leads Google Labs and oversaw the launch of NotebookLM - the company's popular tool that can turn text into a podcast-like show - will replace her. Hsiao plans to take a short break and return to Google in a new role, the spokesperson said. She did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Demis Hassabis, CEO of Google DeepMind, said the move will help the company to focus on the evolution of the Gemini app, according to a Semafor report, which first reported on the move, citing a memo. Woodward will retain his role as head of Google Labs while shaping the next chapter of Gemini, the spokesperson said. Last year, Google shifted the team behind the Gemini app to its AI research lab, DeepMind, as the search giant looked to streamline its structure and better position itself in the generative AI race.

Google names Josh Woodward as new Gemini team leader after Sissie Hsiao steps down

Google has announced that Sissie Hsiao is stepping down as leader of the Gemini team. Josh Woodward, currently head of Google Labs, will replace Hsiao. He will continue his role at Google Labs while taking on this new responsibility. This change aims to enhance the development and integration of the Gemini AI model into Google products.Google has appointed Josh Woodward, current head of Google Labs, as the leader of Gemini team with Sissie Hsiao stepping down with immediate effect. Announcing Woodward's new responsibility, Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis said that the move will "sharpen our focus on the next evolution of the Gemini app."' This leadership change comes as Google seeks to further develop its Gemini AI model and integrate it more effectively into its products. Woodward will retain his position at Google Labs while taking on this new responsibility. Hsiao expressed optimism for the future of Gemini under Woodward's leadership. She will be taking time off before returning to Google in a different role. Hsiao, a 19-year Google veteran, was initially tasked with building Google's chatbot in 2022 in response to the rise of ChatGPT. This chatbot evolved into what is now known as Bard, later becoming unified under the Gemini brand. Hsiao described her time leading the Gemini team as "Chapter 1" of the Bard story, expressing confidence in Woodward's leadership for "Chapter 2." The development of Gemini has been a gradual process, with the model slowly improving and being integrated into various Google products. The recent release of Gemini 2.5 Pro, while still experimental, has shown promising results in benchmarks and user feedback. Woodward, in his role at Google Labs, oversaw the launch of Notebook LM, a generative AI tool that analyzes user-provided data. Notebook LM can generate "podcast"-style conversations based on user data. This capability was recently integrated into the Gemini Deep Research tool, a demo of Google's Project Mariner. Woodward's team also worked on Project Mariner, an experimental AI agent that can control the Chrome browser. Google views agentic systems as a significant area for future AI development. Bringing Woodward's experience in this area to the Gemini team aligns with this strategic direction. Current Gemini integrations in Google products primarily consist of adding chat windows for querying Gemini about content within apps like Drive or Gmail. Woodward's appointment suggests Google may be looking to replicate the success of Notebook LM by creating new AI-powered products. Google may find users more receptive to generative AI within new experiences rather than integrated into existing apps.

AI leadership changes at Google Gemini - Semafor By Investing.com

Investing.com -- Google (NASDAQ:GOOGL) is introducing changes to its AI leadership, particularly in its consumer AI applications division, as the focus of the AI competition shifts towards the products built around the base models. This information comes from internal memos reviewed by Semafor. Sissie Hsiao, who spearheaded Google's AI chatbot project, Gemini, will be stepping down immediately. Her position will be filled by Josh Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD), who currently leads Google Labs and was responsible for the launch of NotebookLM. NotebookLM is a popular Google tool that converts text into a podcast-like presentation. Demis Hassabis, the CEO of Google DeepMind, shared in a memo to the staff that this change aims to "sharpen our focus on the next evolution of the Gemini app." He stated that Woodward will continue to lead Google Labs while also guiding the future development of Gemini. Hsiao has plans to take a brief hiatus and will return to Google in a new role, calling Woodward's appointment "chapter 2" in Gemini's story.