Noam Shazeer, a vice president of engineering at Google and a lead developer on the Gemini AI models, has announced he is leaving Google to join OpenAI, which is preparing for a public offering.
Why the departure is notable
The move attracted significant attention because media reports indicate Google paid around $2.7 billion to reacquire Shazeer and his research team from the Character.AI startup roughly two years ago. In 2024 Shazeer was appointed co-head of the Gemini development division and played a key role in helping Google’s models catch up technologically with OpenAI’s ChatGPT.
Professional background
Shazeer joined Google in 2000. He is a co-author of a widely cited 2017 scientific paper that sources describe as a milestone in the modern AI revolution.
Announcement and official responses
In a post on X, Shazeer said he was very proud of the work achieved at Google and is excited about the new challenges awaiting him at OpenAI. Google issued an official statement thanking him for his decades of service.
Why it matters
Shazeer’s move highlights intensifying competition for talent among leading AI developers. Securing key personnel is seen as strategically important for companies racing to develop more advanced language models and generative AI systems.
Source: Reuters
