Key facts
- Google co-founder Sergey Brin has been urging AI staff to accelerate development of the Gemini model.
- Google DeepMind's chief Demis Hassabis has been replaced by his deputy, Koray Kavukcuoglu, who will now lead the AI division.
- The two original technical co-leads of the Gemini model have departed to start their own company.
- Google delayed the release of a new flagship version of Gemini due to performance issues.
- The leadership changes come amid concerns that Google's AI models are falling behind competitors like Anthropic and OpenAI.
- Some teams are being moved out of the autonomous DeepMind unit into the broader Google corporate structure.
Google's AI division has undergone a significant leadership shakeup, with chief Demis Hassabis stepping down to become chair and his deputy, Koray Kavukcuoglu, taking over as head of Google DeepMind. This restructuring follows internal pressure from Google co-founder Sergey Brin, who has urged employees to accelerate the development of the company's Gemini AI model, which has recently been surpassed by competitors like Anthropic and OpenAI.
The changes, announced on August 5, also saw the departure of the two original technical co-leads of Gemini, who are leaving to found their own startup. The delay of a new flagship Gemini version due to performance lags in areas such as coding, as reported by sources, underscores the urgency behind these moves.
Sources indicate that the reorganization is part of Alphabet's strategy to achieve AI model supremacy and increase commercialization. This includes a further erosion of DeepMind's autonomy, with some teams moving out of the London-based lab and into the corporate Google structure. Kavukcuoglu, who has been increasingly influential and has Brin's backing, is seen as more attuned to commercialization and will now have final say on major decisions for DeepMind.
During an all-hands meeting on August 6, Hassabis and Kavukcuoglu attempted to reassure staff about the lab's future, emphasizing that day-to-day work would continue largely unchanged and that Hassabis would focus on long-term scientific advancements in his new role. However, concerns persist among staff about the diminishing autonomy of DeepMind.
Google CEO Sundar Pichai has previously stated the company's commitment to advancing in AI, acknowledging setbacks while highlighting strengths in areas like video generation. The appointment of Kavukcuoglu is also expected to ease tensions regarding the allocation of Google's limited supply of AI chips, known as Tensor Processing Units (TPUs).