Facebook has recently launched its research lab called Building 8 and hired a former Google top executive to lead it. This new department is tasked to build new hardware based in the software of the company. It underlines Facebook's widening ambitions in technology.
Regina Dugan, formerly with Google, will now head the new department in the social media company. She is also formerly a Pentagon research chief who was taken in by Alphabet Inc, Google's parent company in 2012.
CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in his FB post that this new Building 8 group will "advance our mission of connecting the world." He added that his company will be putting in "hundreds of people and hundreds of millions of dollars into this effort over the next few years."
Dugan formerly led the Advanced Technology and Products Group at Alphabet Inc. She will now direct Facebook's efforts to develop hardware that utilizes the social media giant's software and related technologies from Oculus VR as well as its artificial intelligence research unit.
According to Zuckerberg, as a former Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) director, Dugan will also be able to bring this agency's development style in combining science and products to the social media company.
"This method is characterized by aggressive, fixed timelines, extensive use of partnerships with universities, small and large businesses, and clear objectives for shipping products at scale," said Zuckerberg.
The Menlo Park, CA-based company hinted that Building 8 will have a major role in how it accomplishes its 10-year strategic expansion plan outlined by its CEO on the recent F8 Developers conference specifically in matters of giving internet access to billions of people around the world, virtual and augmented reality, and artificial intelligence.
In a statement, Dugan said: "Building 8 is an opportunity to do what I love most... tech infused with a sense of our humanity. Audacious science delivered at scale in products that feel almost magic. A little badass. And beautiful."
