MIT Technology Review is reporting that Google has announced a significant shake-up to its artificial intelligence operations following a period of talent losses, delays to its flagship models, and internal morale issues. It said DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis is transitioning from day-to-day leadership to become the unit's chairman and Alphabet's chief scientist, a broader role. DeepMind will now be led by CTO Koray Kavukcuoglu as senior vice-president. The outlet noted that DeepMind may be absorbed into Google's wider business, and the company is expected to tighten its control over the AI lab it acquired 12 years ago.
The publication also reported that Jeff Dean, Google's former chief scientist, is departing after 27 years to launch a new AI company called Discovery Loop with three former colleagues, aiming to automate scientific research. Google is an early investor in the startup. These changes come amid financial concerns, as Google AI recently turned cash flow negative for the first time on record. The company is now concentrating its AI leadership in California and shifting its AI science strategy from specialized tools to more autonomous agentic AI systems.
Separately, CNN is reporting that Meta has become the latest firm to state its AI hacked another company, blaming a "misconfiguration" by an independent cybersecurity tester. The Information said the model involved was Muse Spark 1.1, and The Guardian noted similar breaches by OpenAI and Anthropic models. Reuters is reporting that Samsung and SK Hynix are testing Chinese chip tools as a hedge against potential tighter U.S. export restrictions. The BBC said London has granted robotaxis a license to operate, with the condition that a human driver remains present for now. Wired is reporting that scientists have created gene-edited dogs that do not trigger allergies by using CRISPR to remove a reaction-causing protein, and New Scientist added that approval is now sought to sell these beagles. The Verge is reporting that OpenAI has asked a judge to dismiss Apple's trade secrets lawsuit, with the Financial Times claiming the suit is an attempt to stem an employee exodus. The Guardian also reported that restaurants, pubs, and theaters are banning Meta's "spy glasses" due to privacy concerns.
Full Article: The Download: Google’s AI shake-up and Meta’s rogue model