Noam Shazeer Ditches Google Again, Lands at OpenAI
Key AI researcher whose work underpinned the generative AI boom leaves Google for OpenAI's architecture team.
Noam Shazeer, the Google DeepMind researcher whose work underpinned the generative AI boom, is heading to OpenAI. The company informed staff on Wednesday that Shazeer will lead architecture research.
It's a significant departure. Shazeer only rejoined Google in 2024 as part of the Character.AI acquisition deal. At Google, he served as co-lead on Gemini, the company's flagship AI model.
Now he's walking out the door to join Google's biggest rival in the AI race. OpenAI snagging a researcher of Shazeer's caliber is a serious talent win — and a painful loss for Google DeepMind.
The move underscores just how fierce the battle for top AI talent has become. Google paid handsomely to bring Shazeer back through the Character.AI deal. That investment just walked across the street.