John Jumper, who shared the 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for co-creating AlphaFold, an AI system that predicts the 3D structure of proteins, is leaving Alphabet Inc.’s (NASDAQ:GOOG) (NASDAQ:GOOGL) Google DeepMind to join Anthropic.
Nine-Year Stint Ends
Jumper announced the move Friday on X, calling it a decision made after nearly nine years at DeepMind. “After nearly 9 years, I have decided to leave Google DeepMind and join Anthropic (after taking some time to recharge),” he wrote.
The American theoretical chemist and computer scientist said he remains grateful to DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis, with whom he shared the Nobel, for “taking a real chance” by letting him lead the AlphaFold team just six months after his PhD.
Hassabis responded on X, writing, “Thanks John for an extraordinary partnership and wonderful collaboration over the past 9 years! What we achieved with AlphaFold changed the world, and showed the field what was possible with AI for science and medicine, lighting the way for how AI can benefit humanity.”
Why It Matters for Google’s AI Race
The exit deepens Google’s struggle to compete with Anthropic, OpenAI and rivals in building top AI models, particularly in AI coding tools, where the company has lagged commercially.
The departure is also the second major exit of the week. Gemini co-lead Noam Shazeer left for OpenAI earlier in the week. These back-to-back departures have increased scrutiny of Alphabet over its ability to retain talent amid the competition for artificial intelligence researchers.
Photo courtesy: Shutterstock
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Recent Comments