- Published on
Big shake-up in Google’s AI team as DeepMind chief executive steps down
- Authors
- Name
- DeepHorus
Sir Demis Hassabis is stepping down as chief executive of Google DeepMind, in a leadership overhaul at the UK-based AI lab. He will become chair of DeepMind and take on a new role as chief scientist at Alphabet, Google's parent company. Koray Kavukcuoglu, DeepMind's chief technology officer, will succeed him as senior vice-president.
The 50-year-old London-born researcher co-founded DeepMind in 2010 and sold it to Google for £400 million in 2014. His work on the AlphaFold protein model earned him the 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Under his leadership, DeepMind became a cornerstone of Google's AI ambitions.
Alphabet, a $4.4 trillion company, saw its shares close down 4% on Wednesday after the announcement. The transition comes as Google faces intense competition from Anthropic and OpenAI, both of which hired leading Google AI researchers this summer. These rivals have also made advances in creating coding agents.
Hassabis said he has been working toward artificial general intelligence, which he believes is "close at hand." He explained his decision by saying he wants to focus on the big picture and help influence what is to come. He stressed that safely stewarding AGI is critical for humanity.
As a Nobel winner, Hassabis has played a statesmanlike role, recently urging the US to create a global AI watchdog. He wrote on Substack that "what we collectively do now will determine how the next phase of civilisation unfolds." His expanded chief scientist role allows him to shape AGI's development at the highest level.
Google also confirmed departures of Gemini leaders, including veteran engineer Jeff Dean. Dean and Sanjay Ghemawat will launch Discovery Loop, a startup focused on machine learning and science breakthroughs. Some investors worry Google is falling behind rivals in the AI race.
Hassabis will remain chief executive of Isomorphic Labs, a DeepMind spinoff for drug discovery. Kavukcuoglu now takes the helm at DeepMind, tasked with leading its next phase. Hassabis's new positions signal a continued focus on AGI safety and global oversight.
