Google reshuffles AI leadership as DeepMind chief Demis Hassabis takes new role

San Francisco: Google’s AI leadership is getting a reboot as parent company Alphabet reshuffles its top ranks, handing more day-to-day operational responsibility to a new leader while tasking one of artificial intelligence’s biggest names with shaping the company’s long-term pursuit of artificial general intelligence (AGI).

The changes come at a sensitive time for Google, whose flagship Gemini AI model has faced delays amid intensifying competition from rivals OpenAI and Anthropic, while several senior AI researchers have recently left the company, according to a Reuters report.

Demis Hassabis, the Nobel Prize-winning scientist who has led Google DeepMind since its formation in 2023, will step down from his day-to-day role as chief executive and become Alphabet’s newly created chief scientist. He will also serve as chairman of Google DeepMind.

In an internal memo, Hassabis said the transition would allow him to devote his full attention to advancing AGI research, describing the technology as approaching a pivotal stage. He also plans to spend more time leading Isomorphic Labs, the AI-powered drug discovery company he founded, where he remains chief executive.

According to Alphabet chief executive officer, Sundar Pichai, the new role will allow Hassabis to focus on shaping the future of AGI, which he described as strategically important for both Alphabet and society.

Operational leadership of Google DeepMind will shift to chief technology officer Koray Kavukcuoglu, who will become senior vice-president while continuing to serve as Alphabet’s chief AI architect. Reuters reported that Kavukcuoglu has already worked closely with Google Cloud and is expected to steer Gemini towards a stronger commercial focus.

The leadership shake-up coincides with the departure of several of Google’s most prominent AI engineers. Veteran computer scientist Jeff Dean, along with Sanjay Ghemawat, Oriol Vinyals and Quoc Le, has left the company to establish Discovery Loop, a public benefit corporation focused on machine learning, science and engineering research. The startup has secured investment from Google and entered into a cloud computing partnership with the company.

The changes follow a series of high-profile exits from Google’s AI division. In June, Gemini co-leader Noam Shazeer left for OpenAI, while Nobel Prize-winning researcher John Jumper announced his move to Anthropic, raising fresh questions about talent retention at Google’s AI labs.

The overhaul also comes as investors await the release of the latest version of Gemini, which was originally expected in June but remains unreleased. Concerns over delays and growing competition contributed to a 4 per cent fall in Alphabet shares following the announcement.

While Google’s AI research remains among the industry’s strongest, the latest leadership changes suggest Alphabet is placing greater emphasis on turning cutting-edge research into commercial products. As the race for AI dominance accelerates, the company is seeking to balance scientific ambition with faster execution in an increasingly competitive market.