Google's AI shakeup: DeepMind's Hassabis steps aside, senior scientists depart

Skip to content So long and thanks for all the bots Google’s AI brain drain continues. Demis Hassabis, the now former CEO of Google DeepMind, during an interview in 2026. Credit: Ruhani Kaur/Bloomberg via Getty Images Google got a slow start with generative AI after seemingly being caught flat-footed by Microsoft’s Copilot reveal. What a difference a few years make. Now, Google is at the forefront of AI development (for better or worse), but new cracks are beginning to show. The company’s string of high-profile personnel departures continues, and DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis has now said he will hand off day-to-day responsibilities to take on an oversight role at parent company Alphabet. Hassabis was one of the founders of DeepMind, and he maintained a key leadership role after Google acqui