Android is losing one of its longtime engineering leaders: Android vice president of engineering Dave Burke announced Thursday that he is stepping down after 14 years in the role, but he is not leaving Alphabet and will instead explore “AI/bio” projects within the company.
Burke has worked on significant Android projects, including the development of Nexus and Pixel smartphones, Chrome for mobile, the launch of Android TV, and leading the effort to build and ship developer tools.
Burke's move follows a series of layoffs and restructurings at Alphabet this year. The company laid off more than 1,000 employees in January, including most of its AR hardware team, and in April combined its hardware and Android teams to focus on putting AI on all of its devices. That latter decision prompted Hiroshi Lockheimer, who led Android, Chrome, and ChromeOS, to explore other roles within the company, and Rick Osterloh, senior vice president of devices and services, was named to oversee the new division. Samir Samat, who had worked under Lockheimer, became president of Android Ecosystem.
In his post on X, Burke said he would continue on as an adviser while he looks for another project.
So… after 14 years leading Android Engineering, I've decided it's time for a change. It's been an amazing experience helping build the biggest OS on the planet (and many Nexus/Pixels), and I'm incredibly grateful for the opportunity. I'll be acting as an advisor as we think about what's next for AI/Bio. Read more here:…
— Dave Burke (@davey_burke) June 13, 2024
Burke wrote a letter to colleagues that he also published on LinkedIn, in which he said he wanted to explore the role of AI in accelerating drug discovery.
“AI has a wide range of applications, including for hard-to-treat childhood cancers, and has the potential to play a pivotal role in accelerating drug discovery. This is an important topic to me, and I am working with Sundar to explore related roles at Alphabet,” he said.