Hanoi Hantrakul is a musician and research scientist who works on audio and artificial intelligence. He is a former AI resident at Google working on creative applications of machine learning for music. His musical nom de plume is "Yaboi Hanoi."Project Magenta is a research group inside Google that started with a simple question: Can we use machine learning to create compelling art and enhance creative expression?As an AI expert and musician, Hanoi has worked on many different tools that expand the possibilities of musical composition. And thanks to the underlying technical innovations inside data centers, these tools are getting much better – opening the doors for musicians and non-musicians alike.Hanoi also won an international AI song contest with his composition titled “Enter Demons and Gods,” which mashed together AI instruments with musical influences from Southeast Asia.<a href="https://www.aisongcontest.com/participants-2022/yaboi-hanoi">Listen to a full version</a> of Hanoi's music, plus other AI song contest entries. <a href="https://magenta.tensorflow.org/">Find out more information</a> about Google's Project Magenta.

<description>&lt;p&gt;Hanoi Hantrakul is a musician and research scientist who works on audio and artificial intelligence. He is a former AI resident at Google working on creative applications of machine learning for music. His musical nom de plume is "Yaboi Hanoi."&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Project Magenta is a research group inside Google that started with a simple question: Can we use machine learning to create compelling art and enhance creative expression?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;As an AI expert and musician, Hanoi has worked on many different tools that expand the possibilities of musical composition. And thanks to the underlying technical innovations inside data centers, these tools are getting much better – opening the doors for musicians and non-musicians alike.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Hanoi also won an international AI song contest with his composition titled “Enter Demons and Gods,” which mashed together AI instruments with musical influences from Southeast Asia.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.aisongcontest.com/participants-2022/yaboi-hanoi"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Listen to a full version&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;i&gt; of Hanoi's music, plus other AI song contest entries. &lt;/i&gt;&lt;a href="https://magenta.tensorflow.org/"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Find out more information&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;i&gt; about Google's Project Magenta.&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
</description>

Hanoi Hantrakul is a former AI resident at Google working on creative applications of machine learning for music.

Machine Learning Unlocks a New Era for Music

Mikko Green is an operations manager at Google's data center in Hamina, Finland. In 2012, when Mikko applied to work at the facility, he was excited about the prospect of moving back to the country where his mother was born.Over the years, Mikko has witnessed Finland's broader economic shift toward digital tech, which is now a top industry in the country. Finland is a top global producer of paper. But every year, paper demand falls – putting pressure on the industry. Faced with challenges in the pulp and paper industry, Finland is pursuing new forms of economic development. Data centers are one opportunity. For over a decade, Google has been operating a data center in Hamina, Finland, at an abandoned paper mill. The company has invested €2 billion in the Hamina data center and related network infrastructure – and hired workers who were formerly employed in paper production.<a href="https://www.google.com/about/datacenters/locations/hamina/">Learn more</a> about Google's investments in communities like Hamina.

<description>&lt;p&gt;Mikko Green is an operations manager at Google's data center in Hamina, Finland. In 2012, when Mikko applied to work at the facility, he was excited about the prospect of moving back to the country where his mother was born.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Over the years, Mikko has witnessed Finland's broader economic shift toward digital tech, which is now a top industry in the country. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Finland is a top global producer of paper. But every year, paper demand falls – putting pressure on the industry. Faced with challenges in the pulp and paper industry, Finland is pursuing new forms of economic development. Data centers are one opportunity. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;For over a decade, Google has been operating a data center in Hamina, Finland, at an abandoned paper mill. The company has invested €2 billion in the Hamina data center and related network infrastructure – and hired workers who were formerly employed in paper production.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.google.com/about/datacenters/locations/hamina/"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Learn more&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;i&gt; about Google's investments in communities like Hamina.&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
</description>

Mikko Green is an operations manager at Google's data center in Hamina, Finland. 

A Finnish Paper Town Becomes a Digital Hub

Sarah Hess is one of a million union workers in the U.S. construction industry. But she’s a rare woman in the field. About 90% of the construction workforce is male – a number that hasn't changed much over the past three decades.Oregon Tradeswomen is an organization devoted to helping women like Sarah build careers in construction, manufacturing, mechanical, and utility trades. In 2022, Google gave $150,000 to the organization to support diversifying these industries. It's part of a multi-state effort at Google to support programs that elevate tradeswomen – some of whom will eventually build data centers.Sarah has faced many obstacles in her life: homelessness, drug addiction, and a life-threatening tumor. Her new career in the construction trade has helped her overcome many of those difficulties. <a href="https://oregontradeswomen.org/">Learn more</a> about the Oregon Tradeswomen program.

<description>&lt;p&gt;Sarah Hess is one of a million union workers in the U.S. construction industry. But she’s a rare woman in the field. About 90% of the construction workforce is male – a number that hasn't changed much over the past three decades.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Oregon Tradeswomen is an organization devoted to helping women like Sarah build careers in construction, manufacturing, mechanical, and utility trades. In 2022, Google gave $150,000 to the organization to support diversifying these industries. It's part of a multi-state effort at Google to support programs that elevate tradeswomen – some of whom will eventually build data centers.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Sarah has faced many obstacles in her life: homelessness, drug addiction, and a life-threatening tumor. Her new career in the construction trade has helped her overcome many of those difficulties. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://oregontradeswomen.org/"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Learn more&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;i&gt; about the Oregon Tradeswomen program.&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
</description>

Oregon Tradeswomen is an organization devoted to helping women like Sarah Hess build careers in construction, manufacturing, mechanical, and utility trades.

From Despair to a Dream Job in the Trades

The Netherlands has a unique relationship with water. One-third of the country lies below sea level, and almost 20% of the mainland is water – largely due to the 6,000 kilometers of waterways that support industry and recreation.Pumping and diverting and blocking water is what made the Netherlands possible, turning it into a vital European trading hub and top agricultural exporter. But now, the masters of controlling water are facing a new challenge: worsening drought.That’s why Google partnered with North Water, a Dutch water treatment company, to harness water from a network of canals to cool its data center. The €‎45-million project featured construction of a pipeline that can carry 10 million cubic meters of water each year to the data center. It also required a new treatment plant to treat and filter the water. The project illustrates the creative, sustainable methods for cooling data centers that Google is deploying around the world.<a href="https://www.dutchwatersector.com/news/google-nl-switches-to-surface-water-for-its-datacentre-cooling">Learn more</a> about Google’s partnership with North Water and Google’s water sustainability <a href="https://sustainability.google/commitments/water/">commitments</a>. After you listen to the episode, watch a short documentary film about the project <a href="https://youtu.be/wfAFv6ikmkE">here</a>.

<description>&lt;p&gt;The Netherlands has a unique relationship with water. One-third of the country lies below sea level, and almost 20% of the mainland is water – largely due to the 6,000 kilometers of waterways that support industry and recreation.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Pumping and diverting and blocking water is what made the Netherlands possible, turning it into a vital European trading hub and top agricultural exporter. But now, the masters of controlling water are facing a new challenge: worsening drought.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;That’s why Google partnered with North Water, a Dutch water treatment company, to harness water from a network of canals to cool its data center. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The €‎45-million project featured construction of a pipeline that can carry 10 million cubic meters of water each year to the data center. It also required a new treatment plant to treat and filter the water. The project illustrates the creative, sustainable methods for cooling data centers that Google is deploying around the world.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.dutchwatersector.com/news/google-nl-switches-to-surface-water-for-its-datacentre-cooling"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Learn more&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;i&gt; about Google’s partnership with North Water and Google’s water sustainability &lt;/i&gt;&lt;a href="https://sustainability.google/commitments/water/"&gt;&lt;i&gt;commitments&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;i&gt;. After you listen to the episode, watch a short documentary film about the project &lt;/i&gt;&lt;a href="https://youtu.be/wfAFv6ikmkE"&gt;&lt;i&gt;here&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;i&gt;. &lt;/i&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
</description>

Google partnered with North Water, a Dutch water treatment company, to harness water from a network of canals to cool its data center.

A Creative Water Solution for a Dutch Data Center

Ian Yang knew he was gay at an early age. But it wasn’t until arriving at Google that he felt comfortable opening up about his sexuality – eventually lighting a spark that made him a positive force in the political discussion around LGBTQ+ rights in Taiwan.Ian is an operations engineer at Google’s data center in Changhua County, Taiwan. He ensures that management and training processes run effectively inside the facility. He is also one of the coordinators of the largest Gay Pride parade in East Asia.Over the last decade, Ian has witnessed – and influenced – dramatic change in the politics around same-sex rights in Taiwan. <a href="https://www.google.com/about/datacenters/locations/changhua-county/">Learn more</a> about Google’s data center operations in Taiwan. <a href="https://pride.google/">Read about </a>Google’s support of the LGBTQ+ community.

<description>&lt;p&gt;Ian Yang knew he was gay at an early age. But it wasn’t until arriving at Google that he felt comfortable opening up about his sexuality – eventually lighting a spark that made him a positive force in the political discussion around LGBTQ+ rights in Taiwan.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Ian is an operations engineer at Google’s data center in Changhua County, Taiwan. He ensures that management and training processes run effectively inside the facility. He is also one of the coordinators of the largest Gay Pride parade in East Asia.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Over the last decade, Ian has witnessed – and influenced – dramatic change in the politics around same-sex rights in Taiwan. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.google.com/about/datacenters/locations/changhua-county/"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Learn more&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;i&gt; about Google’s data center operations in Taiwan. &lt;/i&gt;&lt;a href="https://pride.google/"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Read about &lt;/i&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;i&gt;Google’s support of the LGBTQ+ community.&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
</description>

Ian is an operations engineer at Google’s data center in Changhua County, Taiwan.

The ‘Gaygler’ Fighting for Same-Sex Rights in Taiwan

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