In a major leadership change, Google has named Prabhakar Raghavan as its new chief technologist. Previously a senior vice president overseeing Google’s Search, Assistant, Geo, Ads, Commerce and Payments products, Raghavan assumed his new role, replacing longtime Google executive Nick Fox, according to an announcement made by CEO Sundar Pichai on the 17th. october. , 2024.

Raghavan’s appointment comes at a time when Google’s core search business faces growing competition from tech giants like Microsoft and OpenAI, as well as emerging startups like Perplexity. Changes in user behavior also influence the company’s strategic directions.

Prabhakar has decided it is time to make a big career change,” Pichai said in an internal memo. “After 12 years leading various teams, he will return to his roots in IT as chief technologist.

Raghavan’s Senior Vice President position will be filled by Nick Fox, a veteran of Raghavan’s management team. The move accompanies a broader restructuring within Google’s Knowledge and Information (K&I) division.

Pichai emphasized that bringing these teams together would improve feedback loops, streamline the deployment of AI models like Gemini, and accelerate product development.

Raghavan, 64, joined Google in 2012 after holding key positions at Yahoo, where he worked on search rankings, advertising systems and marketplace design. At Google, he led Google Cloud and Google Apps teams, managing products like Gmail and Google Drive, which reached over a billion users.

In 2018, Raghavan took charge of Google Search, where he pioneered AI innovations such as Smart Reply and Smart Compose, as well as advanced search features such as video understanding and ” Buy what you see” based on Lens.

Raghavan notably responded to public concerns when Gemini, Google’s AI model, was criticized for historical inaccuracies, by offering a transparent explanation in a company blog post. His leadership continues to be marked by a focus on perfecting AI capabilities while adapting to the rapidly changing technology landscape.