Jeff Dean exits after 27 years as Google reshuffles AI leadership. Hassabis becomes Alphabet chief scientist; shares fell 5%. Next major AI model Gemini 4 under new lead.
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Google reshuffled its AI divisions Wednesday, sending shares down 5% after chief scientist Jeff Dean said he would leave the company after 27 years.
Dean, a pioneer in artificial intelligence credited with some of Google’s most important technical breakthroughs, is starting his own company with Google senior fellow Sanjay Ghemawat, according to a memo from CEO Sundar Pichai posted to Google's blog. The departure is on friendly terms and Google will invest in his startup, a representative said.
“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. Dean and Ghemawat will work to “accelerate discoveries” in machine learning, science and engineering, he added.
Demis Hassabis, the CEO of Google DeepMind, is moving into a chairman role of that unit and also assuming the title chief scientist of parent company Alphabet. DeepMind technology chief Koray Kavukcuoglu is being promoted to head of the AI division, reporting directly to Pichai. Kavukcuoglu will lead development of Gemini 4, Google’s next major AI model.
Hassabis co-founded DeepMind and joined Google when the search giant purchased the lab in 2014. In recent years he has been leading nearly all of Alphabet’s foundational AI work. “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. He added he would work with Pichai on “strategic and global” matters related to AI.
The shakeup comes as Google tries to compete against OpenAI and Anthropic on frontier models while also pouring money into infrastructure for its cloud division. In the latest quarter, the company turned cash flow negative for the first time on record due to capital expenditures, while forecasting full-year capex of up to $205 billion.
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