Since the 2022 launch of ChatGpt caused an artificial intelligence frenzy in Silicon Valley, Google has tried to reaffirm its role as a pioneer in AI.
Google co-founder Sergey Brin said Wednesday that if employees work hard, machines can lead the industry with artificial general information when they match or become smarter than humans.
“I recommend you at least stay in the office every week,” he wrote in a note posted internally on Wednesday evening. He added that “60 hours a week is a sweet spot for productivity” in messages to employees working on Gemini, Google's lineup of AI models and apps.
Bryn's notes do not represent changes to Google's official office return policy. This requires employees to work in the office at least three days a week. A Google spokesperson declined to comment.
Still, the memo underscored Brin's belief that AGI, a computing goal, could be within reach. And it shed more light on how he believes Google can achieve that technological leap.
“The competition has been very accelerated and the final race to AGI is ongoing,” he writes. “I think there's all the material to win this race, but you need to turbo-charge your efforts.”
He emphasized the need for Google employees to use more AI for coding, and said improvements in AI will lead to AGI.
More businesses have ordered employees to return to their offices full time to improve productivity. In September, Amazon said that corporate employees will need to return to the office five days a week from 2025. AT&T, JP Morgan Chase and Goldman Sachs also overturned their hybrid work policies.
Brin reported that he returned to Google after the launch of ChatGpt. It helped me navigate difficult moments that lost the benefits of AI (Google developed many technologies that make chatbots that are used to writing things like poetry, code, and travel plans).
Two years after Bryn returned, Google reorganized its business, rebranded AI and deployed technology in popular apps.
Google is releasing AI updates on Rapid Clip, expanding the availability of the Gemini 2.0 model this month to people using the Chatbot app under the same name. Bryn warned employees that they work more than 60 hours a week, saying it could lead to burnout. He also criticized employees who were not making sufficient contributions to the effort.
“Many people work less than 60 hours, with a small number minimised,” he writes. “This last group is not only counterproductive, but can also be extremely moraleful to everyone else.”
Kate Conger contributed the report.
