Kathleen Kenealy

Software Engineer at Google (Brain)

Kathleen Kenealy is a prominent Software Engineer at Google DeepMind, specializing in artificial intelligence and machine learning. Her work primarily focuses on developing the next generation of large language models (LLMs) and open models, including significant contributions to Google's Gemma project, which aims to create lightweight, state-of-the-art open models based on advanced research and technology from the Gemini models.2 4

Education and Early Career

Kenealy earned both her Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Computer Science from Stanford University, with a focus on Artificial Intelligence. During her graduate studies, she conducted research on AI-based chatbots, which laid the foundation for her current work in machine learning.3 4

Professional Experience

Google DeepMind: Kenealy joined Google as a Software Engineer in August 2020, where she has worked on various projects within the Google Brain team. She transitioned to a Senior Software Engineer role in October 2023.
Research Contributions: She has co-authored several influential papers in machine learning and natural language processing, contributing to advancements in model training infrastructure and deep learning techniques.1 3

Key Projects

Gemma: As part of her recent work, Kenealy has been instrumental in the development of Gemma, which is designed to optimize performance for various applications while maintaining accessibility for developers.2 4
T5X and SeqIO: She is also a co-owner of the T5X and SeqIO codebases, which are significant frameworks for training language models and managing machine learning resources effectively.3

Personal Insights

Kenealy's passion for technology began early in her life, influenced by her love for STEM subjects. She describes her journey into AI as a blend of creativity and mathematics, emphasizing the importance of understanding human language through technology.2 4

Overall, Kathleen Kenealy stands out as a key figure in AI research at Google, contributing to transformative technologies that shape how machines understand and generate human language.