Google’s DeepMind Aims for Profitability as it Shifts Focus to Practical Solutions

In a groundbreaking strategic move, Google’s DeepMind has announced that it will be transitioning from employing board games to resolve complex issues to creating pragmatic solutions with their artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. Specifically, their attention will shift to creating algorithms with real-world applications that professionals can use to solve ongoing issues.

A major overhaul sees the DeepMind team, previously focused on board games, channeling their resources towards more pragmatic areas. These include searching for novel cures for diseases, drastically reducing energy consumption, and developing revolutionary new materials.


Although DeepMind’s area of interest has predominantly been future technologies, especially collaborations between machines and humans or between machines, it is now clear that both startups and major tech companies are already using AI to solve present-day problems. For example, IBM’s Watson is revolutionizing sectors from education to healthcare. It aids scientists in diagnosing and treating diseases faster, thereby saving lives by boosting efficiency in the medical field.

Following an evaluation of the system, Watson, much like other AI systems, improved its problem-solving capabilities by learning from the data provided. Its accuracy and understanding have made it a valuable tool in the medical field, even offering overlooked treatment options in approximately 30 percent of the evaluated cases.

IBM’s success, complimented by a larger control over revenue, seems to have sparked Google’s motivation to direct its team towards creating more practically oriented solutions. In stark contrast to their earlier approach, Google had allowed DeepMind researchers the freedom to conduct research without the stress of generating profits. However, having reportedly paid £400 million for DeepMind in January 2014, Google now appears to be planning to cash in on its investment.


As per the blog post by DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis and lead AlphaGo programmer David Silver, the DeepMind team is eager to explore the breakthroughs that AI can offer in various fields. These include the development of AlphaGo, which is a program created for the board game Go. While AlphaGo has decided to step back from competitive play, it does not signify the end of our work with the Go community.

There will not be a separate unit created within the DeepMind family. Instead, the team will join existing groups focusing on energy and healthcare solutions. These are sectors that are getting increasing global attention, pointing to economic considerations rising in Google’s decision-making process. Other tech giants, such as Microsoft and IBM, are already reaping profits from their AI innovations, and it seems Google is ready to claim its portion of the market.

AlphaGo gained popularity last year when it outperformed world champion Lee Sedol 4-1 in a five-game match. It further showcased its capabilities at the Future of Go Summit in Wuzhen by beating world champion Ke Jie 3-0, paving the way for the recent energy and focus shift.

The recent changes in DeepMind’s focus, strategy, and potential profitability signify an exciting new direction for Google’s formidable AI arm, a direction we’re all keen on watching as it unfolds.