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DeepMind's Era of Autonomous Research Is Over: Google Moves AI Control From London to Silicon Valley.

Nobel laureate Demis Hassabis has stepped back from DeepMind's daily operations. The FT reports Google is moving control of AI from London to Silicon Valley, with Koray Kavukcuoglu leading Gemini from Mountain View. The London lab is unsettled and talent is leaving.

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DeepMind's Era of Autonomous Research Is Over: Google Moves AI Control From London to Silicon Valley

Key takeaways

  1. 1According to the FT, Google has moved control of AI from London to Silicon Valley. DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis is stepping back from daily operations to become DeepMind's chair and Alphabet's first chief scientist.
  2. 2Koray Kavukcuoglu, promoted to SVP, takes over day-to-day operations and leads Gemini development, while Sergey Brin has returned with deep involvement in AI strategy.
  3. 3The reorganization stems from concerns that Google is falling behind Anthropic and OpenAI in coding and enterprise AI, and Alphabet's stock fell about 4% to 5% on the day of the announcement.

Google's command of AI is leaving London. Demis Hassabis, the Nobel laureate in chemistry and DeepMind CEO, has stepped back from daily operations. The Financial Times (FT) reports that Google has moved control of AI from London to Silicon Valley.

Report on Google moving AI control: Hassabis steps back at DeepMind
FT report: "Google moves control of AI from London to Silicon Valley" (source: X post)

The Nobel-Winning CEO Steps Back as Chair

Hassabis moves to become DeepMind's chair and Alphabet's first chief scientist. He stays based in London. He will focus on long-term AGI research, governance, and proposing shared industry AI standards, and will continue to lead Isomorphic Labs, the AI drug discovery company he founded. He reportedly told staff, "I've been working toward AGI my whole life, and now I feel it is close."

The Man Sitting Next to Brin: The New Chief's Mission

Koray Kavukcuoglu now runs day-to-day operations. He moved from London to Mountain View last year, and has now been promoted to SVP to effectively lead Gemini development. His desk location is symbolic: it is next to Sergey Brin. Brin, who holds no official title, has been deeply involved in Gemini development decisions since GPT-4 appeared and has returned as a real voice in Google's AI strategy.

Already Behind Anthropic and OpenAI in Coding and Enterprise AI

Why now? The FT says executives and the board have kept worrying that Google trails in coding models and enterprise AI, areas Anthropic and OpenAI claimed early. The reorganization is meant to shift the center of gravity from a research-focused organization to a commercialization-focused one, and the next Gemini release is also running late. Alphabet plans to invest up to $205 billion in AI this year.

The Complaint That AlphaFold Was "Given Away Free": Research vs. Commerce

One axis of the conflict was Hassabis's insufficient focus on commercialization. The decision to release AlphaFold for free was a scientific triumph, but it drew criticism for generating no return on a large investment. The fact that Hassabis has spent more time on Isomorphic Labs over the past year is also cited as background.

Hassabis steps back and Brin returns: Google's AI reorganization
Hassabis's step back and Brin's return: the two pillars of the reorganization (source: X post)

The London Lab: Current and Former Staff "Ready to Leave"

The reorganization sent shockwaves through the London lab. According to the FT, worry has spread that the research culture Hassabis long protected will end. A former DeepMind executive now working at a rival said he had already heard from several current employees that they were "ready to leave."

Jeff Dean, John Jumper, Noam Shazeer, David Silver: Departures Already Under Way

Alongside the reorganization, one name after another has left Google. Jeff Dean, Alphabet's chief scientist of 27 years, is founding a startup. Nobel laureate John Jumper is joining Anthropic, Noam Shazeer is joining OpenAI, and reinforcement learning pioneer David Silver has founded a new company. Many researchers in London have also signaled they may leave.

Stock Down 4% to 5% After the Announcement: The Signal the Market Read

Alphabet's stock fell about 4% to 5% that day. This is read as the result of concern over heavy AI spending combined with doubts about execution. As "Google the research lab" turns into "Google the commercial company," the price showed up in the stock first.

Related: X post (citing the FT) · Financial Times original

Frequently asked questions

Is Hassabis leaving completely?
He steps back from daily operations but becomes DeepMind's chair and Alphabet's first chief scientist, focusing on long-term AGI research, governance, and proposals for AI standards. He will also continue to lead Isomorphic Labs, which he founded.
Why is Google reorganizing now?
The FT reports that executives and the board have been worried that Google trails Anthropic and OpenAI in coding models and enterprise AI, and that the shift moves the center of gravity from a research-focused organization to a commercialization-focused one.
Have people left since the reorganization?
Departures have followed one after another: Jeff Dean founding a startup, John Jumper joining Anthropic, Noam Shazeer joining OpenAI, and David Silver founding a new company. Many researchers at the London lab have also said they are ready to leave.
How did the market react?
Alphabet's stock fell about 4% to 5% on the day of the announcement, which is read as the result of concern over heavy AI spending combined with doubts about execution.

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