Google has revealed that Prabhakar Raghavan, who has been at the helm of the company’s search engine and advertising products, will be leaving his position. This announcement was made on Thursday in a memo from CEO Sundar Pichai to employees.
Nick Fox to Take the Helm of Search & Ads
Nick Fox, a veteran Google executive with diverse departmental experience, will assume Raghavan’s responsibilities. He will now oversee the Knowledge & Information team, which encompasses Google’s Search, Ads, Geo, and Commerce products. Pichai expressed his trust in Fox’s capability to guide these vital sectors, stating, “Throughout his career, Nick has showcased leadership across nearly all areas of Knowledge & Information, from Product and Design in Search and Assistant to our Shopping, Travel, and Payment’s products.”
Raghavan’s New Position
Raghavan will move into a newly established role as Chief Technologist. In this capacity, he will collaborate closely with Pichai and other Google leaders to steer technical initiatives. Pichai commended Raghavan’s significant contributions, remarking, “Prabhakar’s journey at Google has been extraordinary, covering Research, Workspace, Ads, and Knowledge & Information. He played a key role in the Gmail team’s introduction of Smart Reply and Smart Compose, early examples of leveraging AI to enhance our products, and helped drive Gmail and Drive to surpass 1 billion users.”
Previous Criticisms
This announcement follows prior criticisms aimed at Google’s search division. In April, an opinion piece by Ed Zitron raised concerns regarding the trajectory of Google Search under Raghavan’s leadership. The article referenced industry analysts who suggested that Raghavan’s advertising background, rather than expertise in search technology, had influenced decisions that favored revenue over search quality. Critics argued that Raghavan’s leadership led to the reversal of important quality enhancements to improve engagement metrics and ad revenue.
Internal emails from 2019 indicated a “Code Yellow” emergency response to declining search revenues while Raghavan was head of Ads. This reportedly resulted in the elevation of websites that had previously been downranked for employing spam tactics. Google has disputed several of these assertions, insisting that its advertising systems do not impact organic search results.
Further Restructuring
In addition to Raghavan’s departure, Google is undergoing further restructuring:
1. The Gemini app team, led by Sissie Hsiao, will now be integrated into Google DeepMind under CEO Demis Hassabis.
2. Google Assistant teams focused on devices and home experiences will transition to the Platforms & Devices division.
Looking Forward
Fox’s ascension from Raghavan might bring significant changes at Google. We could witness expedited AI implementations in search and ads, along with more regular updates. Fox may reevaluate core search quality to address recent criticisms. He is likely to advocate for a quicker adoption of new technologies to counter competitors, especially in the realm of AI, and will likely approach regulatory issues with more astuteness.
It’s essential to note that these anticipated changes are speculative and based on the limited information available. The true impact of Fox’s leadership style and priorities will become evident as he acclimates to his new role.
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