Is DeepMind a good place to work? Let’s take a look at the company’s culture and ask: is it like other places? Is the culture of the company conducive to advancing science? What are the benefits and disadvantages of working at DeepMind? If you are an algorithmic engineer, DeepMind is a good place to work. The company is highly innovative, which is a plus. Its researchers have a unique perspective on advancing the field of machine learning.
Google acquired DeepMind in 2014. The company is devoted to AI research, which spans fields such as climate change, healthcare, finance, and many more. Moreover, it is dedicated to developing “safe” AI. Founded in London, DeepMind recruits from Cambridge and Oxford. There are many ways to get a job at DeepMind, including the diversity of its work environments.
Applicants must have a high level of education, preferably a PhD. The company requires its staff to submit a research proposal and must have published it in order to be accepted. DeepMind also conducts research in healthcare fields, including cancer. It has been granted a Royal Free ISA for medical tools, which covers the entire data of NHS patients. DeepMind’s policy is not transparent, but it has strong ethics.
In the context of the company’s social responsibility, the Royal Free should take the lead in the management of AKI patients. If they fail to do this, it could have a disastrous impact on the company’s reputation. It also fails to engage the community and reach buy-in for its project. Further, the Royal Free has a significant stake in DeepMind’s business and therefore is a ‘Good Place to Work’.
It’s unclear how much DeepMind’s policy regarding AI has changed over the last few years. While the company’s ISA states that “there’s no AI at DeepMind now”, its internal privacy impact assessment is not legally binding. In mid-2016, the company’s FAQ reiterated that AI policies would be subject to regulatory approval under research authorization processes. This doesn’t sound too good, but it’s not a bad sign for the future of artificial intelligence.
The company’s data-sharing deal with the NHS has come under fire in recent years, as it has breached UK data laws. Despite this, the company has been able to move forward with new initiatives aimed at ensuring data privacy and ethics. For instance, it has recently created an ethics group and established an AI ethics unit. It also recently reaffirmed its commitment to the University of London.
The company has a history of collaborating with the Royal Free. The agreement between the two organisations was only made public in October 2016. DeepMind will retain all algorithms developed during its studies. The agreement with the Royal Free is also opaque, and DeepMind hasn’t disclosed what clinical service will be provided to patients, and the costs or future levy. So what’s the bottom line?
As of November 2015, DeepMind was holding millions of patient data without their consent. It also failed to give patients notice. This was a violation of UK data protection laws. DeepMind has positioned itself as having a direct relationship with patients, but it has not yet been clear how it will use the data. The company’s AKI alert app includes monitoring. It’s also unclear how many patients are involved in its research.
A recent independent journalistic investigation found that the Royal Free and DeepMind entered into a data-sharing agreement. The data was transferred to DeepMind, which began research on the product two months later. Then DeepMind announced its project two months later, despite the fact that they had failed to inform patients of its plans. This was a major flaw, and the data-transfer process should have been more transparent.
How Does DeepMind’s Culture Compare to Other Companies? DeepMind has a long history of hiring talented individuals with a passion for AI. Amit Singhal, the first AI CEO, was a strong proponent of traditional information retrieval. His replacement, John Giannandrea, was a clear driver of AI. The company’s culture and its culture are both focused on AI and human health.