Back At Google Again, Cofounder Sergey Brin Just Filed His First Code Request In Years (forbes.com) 14
After years of day-to-day absence, Google cofounder Sergey Brin filed a request for access to code related to the company's natural language chatbot, LaMDA. Forbes reports: Two sources said the request was related to LaMDA, Google's natural language chatbot -- a project initially announced in 2021, but which has recently garnered increased attention as Google tries to fend off rival OpenAI, which released the popular ChatGPT bot in November. Brin filed a "CL," short for "changelist," to gain access to the data that trains LaMDA, one person who saw the request said. It was a two line change to a configuration file to add his username to the code, that person said. Several dozen engineers gave the request LGTM approval, short for "looks good to me." Some of the approvals came from workers outside of that team, seemingly just eager to be able to say they gave code review approval to the company cofounder, that person added.
The move was a small technical change, but underscores how seriously the company is taking the looming threat from OpenAI and other competitors. Brin and cofounder Larry Page have been largely absent from the company since 2019, when Page handed the reins over to Sundar Pichai to become CEO of Google parent Alphabet. But Pichai has recently called in the company founders to review the company's AI strategy and help form a response to ChatGPT, according to the New York Times. Brin's tinkering highlights the level of involvement the cofounders have taken.
The move was a small technical change, but underscores how seriously the company is taking the looming threat from OpenAI and other competitors. Brin and cofounder Larry Page have been largely absent from the company since 2019, when Page handed the reins over to Sundar Pichai to become CEO of Google parent Alphabet. But Pichai has recently called in the company founders to review the company's AI strategy and help form a response to ChatGPT, according to the New York Times. Brin's tinkering highlights the level of involvement the cofounders have taken.
LGTM (Score:3)
Another definition is "Let's Get This Merged".
Re: LGTM (Score:1)
I always thought it meant Let's Get That Money. A saying from the startup days where every code change would focus on delivering $$$ to the company's bottom line. How wrong I was, but I keep saying it to myself every time I LGTM a PR
Nor surprised. (Score:4, Funny)
> It was a two line change to a configuration file to add his username to the code
The owner doing the heavy lifting as usual. /s
Re:Nor surprised. (Score:4, Informative)
SO SERIOUS! (Score:2)
WHOA, this act of intense dedication just blows me away completely! Can you IMAGINE what would happen if Brin commits THREE lines of changed configuration file?
Re:SO SERIOUS! (Score:5, Funny)
... a compilation error.
LaMDA? (Score:2)
More like LaMeDA, amirite?
Hello? Is this thing on?
Re: (Score:2)
Evil or not then? (Score:2)
Well he had plausible deniability about being evil because he was not part of the company after 19 when they went full-evil.
So now that he is back will he have to deal with the whole evil thing again? Anything he doesnt stop he condones right?
Then they all lined up to give him a BJ (Score:1)
Re: Then they all lined up to give him a BJ (Score:3, Informative)
No, this is just something Googlers do whenever there is a changelist that does something either controversial or very popular/unpopular. There is a lot of trolling and (mostly) good natured fun that happens with code reviews, I assume in all large tech companies, but definitely at Google. Even after the disappointing layoff.
Source: I am a Google employee of 11 years.
Re: Then they all lined up to give him a BJ (Score:2)
Kinda Late (Score:2)