Exclusive: DeepMind hires Lila Ibrahim as first COO
Lila Ibrahim. Photo: DeepMind
Google-owned AI company DeepMind has hired former Intel and Coursera executive Lila Ibrahim as its first chief operating officer.
Why it matters: There is not just one battle shaping up over AI, but many. It's not just about which country or company will lead, but also what ethical constraints will govern its development.
Ibrahim told Axios that she felt a calling to work at a firm that was leading in AI and shared her values.
"If we are going to figure out what solving (artificial) intelligence means, it needs to reflect the diversity of the world and do so in a way that adds value and does good"
Most recently Ibrahim was COO of Coursera and, before that, was chief of staff to Kleiner Perkins' John Doerr.
DeepMind is best known for building AlphaGo, an AI system that defeated a world champion Go player. Google acquired London-based DeepMind in 2014. The company remains based there, with offices in Edmonton, Montreal and Mountain View, Calif. and, as of a couple weeks ago, Paris.