Dave Burke steps down as Android engineering VP, shifts to AI advisory role

After over a decade at the helm, Dave Burke is stepping down as the Android engineering VP. The announcement was made in an X post on Thursday morning.

Burke noted that “it’s time for a change” after heading up various Android-related products and the OS’s development for 14 years. In a letter to staff on LinkedIn, Burke praised his team for scaling “Android users 3000x from 1 million to over 3 billion” over that period.

Burke will now shift to an “advisory position while exploring AI/bio projects” within Google’s portfolio. The specifics of this role remain unclear, but he’ll be “working with Sundar [Pichai] to explore relevant roles at Alphabet.”

Burke’s repositioning within Google further highlights the company’s shifting focus. The announcement follows a major internal staff shift in April, which merged its Android and hardware divisions into a new “Platforms and Devices” team headed by Rick Osterloh. The shuffle also saw Hiroshi Lockheimer, the previous head of Android and Chrome, move to other Google-related projects.

Notably, Burke hasn’t announced who will fill his shoes. “It’s important for me to leave you in good hands with a well-thought-out succession plan,” he told staff on LinkedIn.

“We’ll be following up shortly with some additional specifics about this change, so please keep an eye out for that.”