Demis Hassabis Stepping Back From Day-to-day Operations to Focus on AGI Research, and Longtime Executive Jeff Dean Leaving to Start a New AI

The changes, which also include Koray Kavukcuoglu taking over as DeepMind's leader, come amid internal tensions over product speed and ethical conflicts, according to sources. A current Google employee said Dean's departure signals the end of Google's idealism, warning of a brain drain and mediocrity. Google is seen as slower than OpenAI and Anthropic, and CEO Sundar Pichai acknowledged the need to move faster. Industry insiders view the shakeup as a sign of Hassabis losing influence, with pressure mounting to prioritize product launches over long-term research.