Google AI leader Noam Shazeer departs for OpenAI
The co-author of the transformer paper returns to OpenAI less than two years after Google paid $2.7 billion to bring him back.
Noam Shazeer, Google's Vice President of Engineering and co-lead of the company's Gemini AI project, has left to join OpenAI, marking his second departure from Google in less than four years.
"I'm excited to share that I'll be joining OpenAI and look forward to working with the exceptional team there," Shazeer wrote on X. "It was a difficult decision to move on. I'm incredibly proud of the amazing team at Google and everything we've built together."
Why it matters
Shazeer's move represents more than a single executive departure. As co-author of the 2017 paper "Attention Is All You Need" — which introduced the transformer architecture underlying modern generative AI — he is among the most influential researchers in the field. His departure to OpenAI intensifies the competition for elite AI talent and comes as Google works to close the gap with ChatGPT while OpenAI prepares for a potential public offering.
A costly return, short-lived
Shazeer originally joined Google in 2000 and left in 2021 with Daniel De Freitas to co-found Character.AI, a startup that lets users chat with AI-generated versions of celebrities and fictional characters. Google brought both founders back in August 2024 through a deal reportedly valued at $2.7 billion.
Following his return, Shazeer was appointed co-lead of Gemini AI model development, positioning him as a central figure in Google's AI strategy. His tenure in that role lasted less than two years.
Google acknowledged the departure in a brief statement: "We are grateful for Noam's meaningful contributions to Google over the years."
The talent war escalates
The move underscores the fierce competition for top AI researchers, which has become a critical battleground as companies race to develop advanced AI systems. Shazeer's 2017 transformer paper is widely regarded as the catalyst for the current AI boom, making his expertise particularly valuable.
The departure comes weeks after Google unveiled new Gemini products and as OpenAI positions itself for future growth. The timing of Shazeer's actual departure was not specified in the announcement.
Details of Shazeer's move were first reported by CTech.
This is an original analysis by the Omega editorial team. Source reporting: AI Watch.
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