Source: Fortune
Summary
Google DeepMind has lost two top AI researchers, Noam Shazeer and John Jumper, to rivals OpenAI and Anthropic, respectively. Shazeer, who helped build Google’s LaMDA chatbot system, is leaving for the second time, while Jumper, a Nobel laureate, is joining Anthropic to work on biology-related projects. The departures have raised concerns about Google DeepMind’s ability to compete in the AI race, with some industry watchers suggesting that the lab is slipping behind its rivals. Google DeepMind’s top AI models have fallen behind those of Anthropic and OpenAI on benchmark leaderboards, and its pace of model development appears to be lagging.
Our Reading
The numbers tell one story.
Google DeepMind’s loss of top talent to rivals is a significant blow to its AI ambitions. The departures of Shazeer and Jumper, both of whom were instrumental in developing key AI technologies, have raised concerns about the lab’s ability to compete in the AI race. While Google DeepMind continues to maintain a large team of AI researchers, its pace of innovation appears to be slowing, and its top models are no longer leading the pack. The company’s bureaucratic culture and risk-averse approach may be contributing to its struggles in the AI space.
Google DeepMind is playing not to lose, rather than playing to win.
Author: Evan Null
