Prabhakar Raghavan appointed Google’s chief technologist, receives ₹300 crore offer
Silicon Valley: Google has named Prabhakar Raghavan, a distinguished IIT Madras alumnus, as its new Chief Technologist. In a major career leap, Raghavan has accepted an impressive ₹300 crore offer, marking a high point in his career of over two decades.
Raghavan, 64, previously served as Google's Senior Vice President, overseeing key areas including Search, Assistant, Ads, Commerce, and Payments. Known for his pioneering contributions, he played a significant role in launching AI-powered tools such as Smart Reply and Smart Compose.
In a note to employees, Google CEO Sundar Pichai praised Raghavan’s decision to return to his computer science roots, saying, “After 12 years leading multiple teams at Google, Prabhakar is ready for his next chapter as Chief Technologist.”
Raghavan's career began with a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from IIT Madras, followed by advanced studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and a Ph.D. in computer science from UC Berkeley. His early work at IBM’s Almaden Research Center and as a professor at Stanford University laid the foundation for a distinguished career that included leadership roles at Yahoo and Verity.
His appointment comes amid rising competition in the tech landscape, with Google facing challenges from rivals like Microsoft, OpenAI, and other startups. With a renewed focus on artificial intelligence, Raghavan envisions AI transforming industries and tackling global issues, including urban traffic and disaster management.
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Death penalty for Thai woman accused of murdering fourteen friends with cyanide
Bangkok: A 36-year-old woman in Thailand has been sentenced to death in the first of a string of cases in which she is accused of murdering 14 friends with cyanide.
The court in Bangkok on Wednesday found Sararat Rangsiwuthaporn, guilty of putting poison in a wealthy friend's food and drink while they were on a trip last year. According to a report by the Guardian, the two met near Bangkok in April 2023 to release fish into the Mae Klong river as part of a Buddhist ritual. Siriporn collapsed and died shortly afterwards and investigators found traces of cyanide in her body. Her phone, money and bags were missing when she was found.
Tongpin Kiatchanasiri, Siriporn’s mother, told reporters that the court’s decision is fair. “I want to tell my daughter that I miss her deeply and justice has been done for her today,” she expressed.
Sararat, described as an online gambling addict, is accused of swindling thousands of dollars from her victims before killing them with the chemical.
“She asked people she knows for money because she has a lot of credit card debt; and if they asked her for their money back, she started killing them,” Surachate Hakparn, deputy national police chief, was quoted as saying by the publication.
She has lured 15 people, one of whom survived, to take poisoned “herb capsules”. Sararat faces 13 more separate murder trials and has been charged with about 80 offences in total.
