Changes at Google DeepMind: Demis Hassabis from CEO to Chair, Jeff Dean departs

#1

Post by colesantiago » Wed, Aug 05, 2026, 4:05 PM UTC

https://www.axios.com/2026/08/05/google-deepmind-demis-hassa...

https://www.reuters.com/business/google-shakes-up-ai-leaders...

https://www.discoveryloop.com/, https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49184960

https://twitter.com/JeffDean/status/2085034604172603724, https://xcancel.com/JeffDean/status/2085034604172603724

Changes at Google DeepMind: Demis Hassabis from CEO to Chair, Jeff Dean departs
blog.google

Re: Changes at Google DeepMind: Demis Hassabis from CEO to Chair, Jeff Dean departs

#2

Post by adolph » Wed, Aug 05, 2026, 4:14 PM UTC

"Dean and Google senior fellow Sanjay Ghemawat are starting Discovery Loop, an independent publicity benefit corporation in which Google will be an investor and cloud provider.:

Kinsley Gaffe: A mistake whereby a politician inadvertently says something truthful which they had not meant to reveal.

https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Kinsley_gaffe

Re: Changes at Google DeepMind: Demis Hassabis from CEO to Chair, Jeff Dean departs

#3

Post by WarmWash » Wed, Aug 05, 2026, 4:14 PM UTC

Absolute earthquake at Deepmind the last few months...

Re: Changes at Google DeepMind: Demis Hassabis from CEO to Chair, Jeff Dean departs

#4

Post by FartyMcFarter » Wed, Aug 05, 2026, 4:15 PM UTC

WarmWash wrote: post #3

Absolute earthquake at Deepmind the last few months...

What do you mean?

Re: Changes at Google DeepMind: Demis Hassabis from CEO to Chair, Jeff Dean departs

#5

Post by xtreak29 » Wed, Aug 05, 2026, 4:15 PM UTC

https://xcancel.com/JeffDean/status/2085034604172603724

> Announcing Discovery Loop!

> I am very excited to announce that, along with my longtime friends and collaborators @Sanjay_Ghemawat, @OriolVinyalsML and @quocleix, we are founding Discovery Loop (@DiscoLoopAI), a Public Benefit Corporation whose mission is to automate machine learning, science, and engineering to accelerate discoveries and progress. The four of us have worked together for 14 to 30 years, and have helped build some of the world’s most used products, infrastructure and AI models, and we’re excited to turn our attention to this ambitious endeavor.

Re: Changes at Google DeepMind: Demis Hassabis from CEO to Chair, Jeff Dean departs

#6

Post by epolanski » Wed, Aug 05, 2026, 4:16 PM UTC

That's..huge. Hassabis has been the most important figure of the last 15 years in AI.

Even in indirect ways. OpenAI itself was founded because Musk got fixated on "stopping" Hassabis.

Re: Changes at Google DeepMind: Demis Hassabis from CEO to Chair, Jeff Dean departs

#7

Post by tosh » Wed, Aug 05, 2026, 4:16 PM UTC

can anyone with corporate background decipher if that is good for demis or not?

Re: Changes at Google DeepMind: Demis Hassabis from CEO to Chair, Jeff Dean departs

#8

Post by jarpschope » Wed, Aug 05, 2026, 4:17 PM UTC

I found this article more thorough:

https://www.reuters.com/business/google-shakes-up-ai-leaders...

Re: Changes at Google DeepMind: Demis Hassabis from CEO to Chair, Jeff Dean departs

#9

Post by xnx » Wed, Aug 05, 2026, 4:17 PM UTC

> Lastly, after an incredible 27-year run, Jeff Dean is at a moment where he wants to try something new, and we’re excited to support him in that. Jeff and Google Senior Fellow Sanjay Ghemawat are launching an independent public benefit corporation to accelerate discoveries in ML, science, and engineering.

Oof. Good for Jeff and Sanjay (who just joined Twitter), bu that is a big loss for Google. Google stock is down 5%. It might not be much of an exaggeration to say these two are worth ~$200 billion.

Re: Changes at Google DeepMind: Demis Hassabis from CEO to Chair, Jeff Dean departs

#10

Post by inerte » Wed, Aug 05, 2026, 4:17 PM UTC

adolph wrote: post #2

"Dean and Google senior fellow Sanjay Ghemawat are starting Discovery Loop, an independent publicity benefit corporation in which Google will be an investor and cloud provider.: Kinsley Gaffe: A mistake whereby a politician inadvertently says something truthful which they had not meant to reveal. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Kinsley_gaffe

I don't get what you mean?

To me the biggest news is Jeff and Sanjay leaving Google... but then not really, since Google will be "an investor". I guess that's sorta their retirement plan? And is Discovery Loop actually part of Alphabet? So complicated.