The Wall Street Journal

The chess maestro who's the brains behind Google’s AI push

The chess maestro who's the brains behind Google’s AI push
Demis Hassabis was a chess prodigy in his teen years and helped to create a hit videogame before he started university. (Image: Carlotta Cardana, The Wall Street Journal)
The Wall Street Journal
By Miles KruppaDemis Hassabis, the neuroscientist tasked with keeping Google at the vanguard of artificial intelligence, was on a hot streak. Then the AI went haywire.Google’s AI chatbot began angering users with biased and ahistoric responses. Hassabis wanted to make something clear: it wasn’t the intended behaviour of the system his team built.“There’s more nuances there than I think the product folks fine-tuning these things further down the line had realised,” Hassabis said in a February interview with The Wall...

More Technology

Microsoft to lay off about 9,000 workers
Technology

Microsoft to lay off about 9,000 workers

The latest round of layoffs is on top of the roughly 6,000 roles cut in May.

Contented AI’s quest to turn conversations into business gold
Technology Free Business of Tech

Contented AI’s quest to turn conversations into business gold

From “ChatGPT consultants” to building a business.

Datacom achieves profit increase
News in Brief

Datacom achieves profit increase

The firm finished the financial year with 5375 staff - 12% down on last year.

Staff reporters 02 Jul 2025
Cleantech: Burst bubble or our biggest opportunity?
Opinion

Peter Griffin: Cleantech: Burst bubble or our biggest opportunity?

A thriving cleantech sector could be NZ’s ticket to a sustainable, high-value economy.

Peter Griffin 02 Jul 2025