Google Gemini Co-Lead Noam Shazeer Joins OpenAI

Noam Shazeer, Google's vice president of engineering and co-lead of its Gemini AI models, announced Wednesday that he was leaving the company to join OpenAI. In a post on X, Shazeer stated it was a difficult decision and expressed pride in his work at Google. The move highlights the intense competition for top AI talent among technology companies.

Shazeer Returned to Google in August 2024 from Character.AI

Shazeer's departure comes less than two years after he returned to Google. In August 2024, Google brought back Shazeer and fellow researcher Daniel De Freitas to its DeepMind AI unit as part of a partnership with startup Character.AI, which the pair founded after leaving Google in 2021. The two had left Google after it declined to aggressively pursue a chatbot project they had championed.

Google Unveiled Gemini 3.5 Flash and Gemini Spark at I/O Conference

The departure comes weeks after Google unveiled new AI products, including its Gemini 3.5 Flash model and Gemini Spark AI agent, at its annual I/O developer conference.

OpenAI Confidentially Filed for IPO Earlier This Month

OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT, confidentially filed for an initial public offering earlier this month, setting the stage for one of the most closely watched technology listings in recent years.

FAQ

What did Noam Shazeer announce on Wednesday?

Noam Shazeer announced Wednesday that he was leaving Google to join OpenAI. He shared the news in a post on X, stating he looked forward to working with the team at OpenAI.

Why did Noam Shazeer and Daniel De Freitas leave Google in 2021?

Shazeer and De Freitas left Google in 2021 after the company declined to aggressively pursue a chatbot project they had championed. They subsequently founded Character.AI, one of the most prominent AI startups.