In a strategic move reflecting the evolving AI landscape, Google has announced a leadership change within its consumer AI applications division. This shift marks a transition from foundational AI model development to a stronger focus on product innovation and usability.
Leadership Transition: Josh Woodward Steps In
Sissie Hsiao, the executive who led the development of Google’s AI chatbot, originally launched as Bard and later rebranded as Gemini, has stepped down from her role effective immediately.
Her successor, Josh Woodward, currently leads Google Labs, where he played a key role in launching NotebookLM, an AI-powered tool that transforms text into podcast-style audio. Woodward will now oversee the future of Gemini while continuing to lead Google Labs.
According to Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis, this leadership change is a critical step in advancing Gemini’s next phase. In a staff memo, he confirmed that Google aims to refine and accelerate its AI offerings under Woodward’s guidance.
Hsiao, a 19-year Google veteran, described her tenure as “Chapter 1” of Gemini’s story, expressing confidence that Woodward will lead the platform into its next evolution. After a brief break, she is expected to return to Google in a new role.
From Early Challenges to AI Breakthroughs
Google’s AI journey has been marked by both setbacks and rapid advancements. While the company was a pioneer in transformer-based AI models (the same architecture behind OpenAI’s ChatGPT), it initially hesitated to release its chatbot due to concerns over unpredictability.
This cautious approach led to early missteps. Bard’s launch was plagued by hallucinations (AI-generated false responses), and its image-generation tool sparked controversy by producing historically inaccurate visuals.
However, Google quickly rebounded. The release of Gemini 2.5 last week outperformed OpenAI and Anthropic’s models in benchmark tests, securing the top spot in Chatbot Arena, where users rate AI-generated responses.
Meanwhile, Woodward’s Google Labs team has been developing innovative AI-driven products like:
- NotebookLM: An AI assistant that converts documents into narrated discussions.
- Project Mariner: An experimental autonomous browser agent capable of web navigation and task execution.
The Shift Toward AI Productisation
Google’s leadership shake-up highlights an industry-wide trend: the AI race is no longer just about building the best models; it’s about turning them into compelling, user-friendly products.
Startups like Cursor (for developers) and Harvey (for legal professionals) have demonstrated that AI tools tailored for specific industries can carve out highly lucrative markets.
This shift was evident last week when Google unveiled Gemini 2.5, arguably one of the most advanced AI models to date. Yet, OpenAI’s viral image generator stole the spotlight, proving that intuitive, engaging applications often capture more attention than raw technical capabilities.
Google’s Future: Multimodal AI and Market Domination
Google has long bet on multimodal AI, training Gemini to understand text, images, and audio simultaneously. While this approach initially delayed its market rollout, it is now poised to revolutionise AI applications.
Key advantages that could give Google an edge include:
- Gemini Robotics: Using multimodal reasoning to execute real-world tasks.
- Custom AI Chips: Lowering operational costs and speeding up AI model deployment.
- Integration Across Google Products: Embedding Gemini’s capabilities into Search, Workspace, and Android devices.
As Google moves into the next phase of AI development, its challenge is clear: go beyond research breakthroughs and deliver AI products that are both powerful and widely adopted.
With Josh Woodward now at the helm, the company appears ready to embrace faster experimentation, transform its AI tools into market leaders, and compete aggressively in the AI-powered future.
