Demis Hassabis stepped down as CEO of Google DeepMind on August 5, 2026, and will move to a chair position at the London-based company, the Financial Times reported.
Alphabet, Google DeepMind's parent company, is absorbing the subsidiary into its broader structure and consolidating control over its AI operations, the Financial Times said. Sergey Brin is gaining increased power over AI at Google following the restructuring, the outlet added.
The Financial Times also reported that Google DeepMind's historically scientific culture is giving way to urgency around building AI products. Hassabis co-founded DeepMind before it became part of Alphabet.
Ars Technica reported that several senior scientists are departing Google DeepMind alongside the leadership change, and that those departures are part of a broader pattern of AI talent leaving Google.