In a highly competitive landscape for AI talent, Google has experienced notable employee departures from its AI and cloud divisions this year, despite substantial hiring from other Big Tech firms. The tech giant’s losses have largely been to Microsoft, contrasting with Apple, which saw most of its talent leave for Meta. The departures highlight an ongoing rivalry between key figures from Google DeepMind and Microsoft’s AI division, particularly between cofounders Mustafa Suleyman and Demis Hassabis.
Suleyman, who played a significant role in establishing DeepMind in 2010, left Google to form Inflection AI after a decade. Most of his team was subsequently acquired by Microsoft in a $650 million “acqui-hire,” positioning him as the company’s AI lead. This shift underscores the intensifying competition for talent as the market for AI innovation heats up.
The ongoing struggle for AI professionals is occurring against the backdrop of a cooling job market within the broader tech landscape. As companies recalibrate their hiring strategies, many Google employees have recently transitioned to Microsoft, which has been aggressively bolstering its AI team. A list of notable departures from Google this year illustrates the scale of this trend and highlights where these individuals have landed.
Amar Subramanya left his role as vice president of engineering at Google in July after more than 15 years, subsequently joining Microsoft as its corporate vice president of AI. In December, he was announced as joining Apple. Adam Sadovsky, a distinguished software engineer and senior director at Google for nearly 18 years, transitioned to Microsoft in June, also as a corporate vice president focused on AI.
Another significant loss, Sonal Gupta, served as a principal engineer at Google DeepMind before moving to Microsoft to join its AI team. Steve Regini, previously head of global customer engineering at Google, has assumed the role of senior vice president at SentinelOne, a cybersecurity firm. Jonas Rothfuss, a research scientist at Google DeepMind, moved to Microsoft in May to work within its AI group.
On the management front, Albert Lee, who was senior director of corporate development for Google Cloud and DeepMind, made headlines for facilitating Google’s significant acquisitions, including the $32 billion purchase of Wiz. He left Google to become the vice president of corporate development at OpenAI in December. Tim Frank, formerly a senior director of product management at Google, has also joined Microsoft as corporate vice president of AI monetization.
Sunil Potti, general manager of Google Cloud’s security business, departed in June and is now a partner at a venture capital firm focusing on cybersecurity. Brian Hall, who previously made headlines after being sued by Amazon for leaving to join Google in 2020, left his role as vice president of products in September for an undisclosed position in AI, as announced on LinkedIn.
Moreover, Dave Citron, a former senior director of product at Google DeepMind, joined Microsoft in August as corporate vice president of its AI division. He expressed enthusiasm for his new role, citing the pace and principles of Microsoft AI. In August, Warren Barkley, who was head of product at Google Cloud, transitioned to become vice president of product management at Nvidia.
The significant talent shifts from Google to Microsoft and other tech firms indicate a broader trend within the industry, where competitive dynamics are reshaping the workforce. As AI continues to evolve as a pivotal area of focus, the implications of these changes could reverberate throughout the tech sector, highlighting the critical need for companies to retain their top talent while also adapting to an increasingly competitive recruitment environment.
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