Google

Google Translate, Google Photo Search, Google Smart Reply -- it made its name in search, but Google is becoming a global powerhouse in machine learning, and it's not stopping any time soon.

The company that calls Mountain View, California, home is now getting a firmer foothold in Europe, announcing the opening of a new Google Research group, based out of the company's Zurich offices.

The research group will be dedicated to machine learning (ML) and exploring how computer intelligence can be used to replicate processes performed quickly by the human brain. Think image recognition, understanding natural language and creating neural networks that can learn tasks and improve over time.

According to Google, the team will be focused on research areas such as machine perception and natural language processing, and will "actively research ways in which to improve ML infrastructure, broadly facilitating research for the community, and enabling it to be put to practical use."