Jeff Dean, Google’s Chief Scientist for Google Research and DeepMind, is departing the company to establish a new artificial intelligence venture named Discovery Loop, marking a significant shift in the tech giant’s AI leadership.
His departure coincides with a leadership restructuring at Google DeepMind, where co-founder and CEO Demis Hassabis has been promoted to Chief Scientist of Alphabet and Chair of Google DeepMind.
Koray Kavukcuoglu has been elevated to Senior Vice President of Google DeepMind, taking on responsibility for the unit’s daily operations, including the development of Gemini and other frontier AI models, according to a company statement.
Dean, a foundational figure in modern AI, co-invented TensorFlow and played a significant role in the advancement of neural networks and deep learning technologies during his tenure at Google.
Discovery Loop will operate as an independent public benefit corporation, focusing on machine learning, science, and engineering, Dean and Google Senior Fellow Sanjay Ghemawat said.
Google will serve as a founding investor and Cloud partner for the new company, which aims to further innovation in the AI space.
The move represents a notable change for Google, as Dean has been a central figure in its AI strategy and development for many years.
Sundar Pichai, CEO of Alphabet and Google, acknowledged Dean’s contributions and expressed support for his new endeavor.
Hassabis’s new role as Chief Scientist of Alphabet positions him to oversee the broader AI strategy across the entire Alphabet portfolio, including Google DeepMind and Isomorphic Labs.
Isomorphic Labs, a Google DeepMind sister company, uses AI for drug discovery and has partnerships with pharmaceutical giants like Eli Lilly, Novartis, and Johnson & Johnson.
The leadership changes come as competition in the AI sector intensifies, with companies such as OpenAI and Anthropic making rapid advancements.
Source: Search Engine Journal
