Key facts
- Noam Shazeer is leaving Google.
- Noam Shazeer is joining OpenAI.
- Noam Shazeer was a key figure behind Google's Gemini AI models.
- Google reportedly had a $2.7 billion deal to rehire Noam Shazeer.
- Emily Dalton Smith is leaving Meta.
- Emily Dalton Smith was a Meta executive responsible for a key AI product initiative.
- Internal reports indicate widespread dissatisfaction within Meta's Applied AI division.
- These departures highlight intense competition for AI talent.
Noam Shazeer, a pivotal figure in the development of Google's Gemini AI models, is departing the company to join its competitor, OpenAI. Shazeer's move comes at a time of fierce competition for artificial intelligence talent within the tech industry. His departure follows a reported $2.7 billion deal by Google to rehire him, a transaction that appears to have ultimately not retained his services. The move to OpenAI places him within another leading AI research organization.