What's Going On With Google Parent Alphabet Stock Friday?

Alphabet Inc GOOG GOOGL Google stock is trading higher Friday amid reports of co-founder Sergey Brin increasing his involvement in the tech giant's artificial intelligence (AI) research, returning to the company's Mountain View, California, offices three to four days a week. 

While Brin had been relatively hands-off after stepping down from an executive role at parent company Alphabet in 2019, he is now actively participating in meetings about AI and working closely with researchers developing Google's long-awaited AI model, Gemini, the Wall Street Journal reports.

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The Gemini AI program aims to rival OpenAI's GPT-4 model, which powers the popular AI chatbot ChatGPT. Brin's heightened presence comes as competition intensifies in the AI research space.

Given his longstanding interest in the technology, Brin's engagement with the AI team is pivotal for Google's AI efforts. 

He started Google with co-founder Larry Page in 1998, focusing on outside interests in recent years. 

Brin's involvement is viewed positively by researchers, and he has intervened in personnel matters, including hiring sought-after researchers.

Google has led AI research, forming the Brain research unit in 2011 to explore deep learning techniques for AI programs. 

Brin's return coincides with the release of ChatGPT, an AI chatbot by Microsoft Corp MSFT-backed OpenAI, which prompted Google to accelerate product development. 

The co-founder's participation in AI discussions and weekly research meetings reflects his endorsement of the team's work during a transitional period for Google's AI teams.

The increased presence of Brin at Google signifies a renewed commitment to advancing AI technology and aligning with the company's long-running efforts to build AI systems capable of human-like capabilities. 

His engagement also demonstrates Google's competitiveness in AI, with Gemini poised to be a significant development for the company's future AI initiatives.

Price Action: GOOG shares traded higher by 1.44% at $121.25 premarket on the last check Friday.

Photo via Wikimedia Commons

Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.