Google announced a major AI leadership reshuffle on Wednesday, with chief scientist Jeff Dean leaving the company after 27 years to start his own venture. Dean, a pioneer in artificial intelligence, is launching an independent public benefit corporation focused on accelerating discoveries in machine learning, science, and engineering, with Google investing in the new startup. The departure comes as Google navigates intense competition in the AI industry against rivals like OpenAI and Anthropic, while managing record capital expenditures that turned the company cash flow negative for the first time in its latest quarter.
Hassabis Transitions to Chairman as Kavukcuoglu Takes DeepMind CEO Role
Demis Hassabis, the CEO of Google DeepMind, is moving into a chairman role of that unit. Koray Kavukcuoglu, currently DeepMind CTO and chief AI architect, will take over day-to-day leadership of the AI division with a senior vice president title. Kavukcuoglu will lead the development of Gemini 4, the company's next major AI model, and will report to Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai. "I've decided that now is the right time for me to hand over my day-to-day operational responsibilities at GDM, so that I have the time and space to focus on the big picture and help influence what is to come to the best of my ability," Hassabis said in a note to employees. Hassabis will work with Pichai on "strategic and global" matters related to artificial intelligence.
Dean Launches Independent Public Benefit Corporation with Google Investment
"After an incredible 27-year run, Jeff Dean is at a moment where he wants to try something new, and we're excited to support him in that," Pichai said in a note to staff. "Jeff and Google senior fellow Sanjay Ghemawat are launching an independent public benefit corporation to accelerate discoveries in ML, science, and engineering." The departure is on friendly terms and Google will invest in the startup, a company representative confirmed. Dean joined Google in 1999 and has been credited with some of the company's most important technical breakthroughs. Hassabis co-founded DeepMind and joined Google when the company purchased the lab in 2014.
Google Reports Negative Cash Flow Amid $205 Billion Capex Forecast
The leadership changes come as Google faces a rapidly evolving AI industry landscape. In the latest quarter, Google turned cash flow negative for the first time on record due to its capital expenditures, while forecasting full-year capex of up to $205 billion. The company is investing heavily in infrastructure to support its cloud division's customer workloads and its own AI development efforts, while competing to develop cutting-edge frontier models against OpenAI and Anthropic.
FAQ
How long did Jeff Dean work at Google before leaving?
Jeff Dean worked at Google for 27 years, joining the company in 1999 before departing to launch his own venture announced on Wednesday.
Who is replacing Demis Hassabis as CEO of Google DeepMind?
Koray Kavukcuoglu, currently DeepMind CTO and chief AI architect, is taking over day-to-day leadership of the AI division with a senior vice president title, while Hassabis transitions to a chairman role.
What is Google's capital expenditure forecast for the full year?
Google forecasted full-year capital expenditures of up to $205 billion, contributing to the company turning cash flow negative for the first time on record in its latest quarter.
