Google DeepMind Chief Demis Hassabis Steps Aside as New CEO Takes Helm

Google DeepMind announced that chief executive Demis Hassabis will step aside, moving to a chief scientist role while a new CEO will be appointed to lead the unit’s growing AI portfolio.

Demis Hassabis has led DeepMind since its 2014 acquisition, overseeing breakthroughs such as AlphaGo and Gemini, and his departure triggered a sharp decline in Alphabet’s share price, reflecting investor concern over the unit’s future direction.

Barret Zoph rejoined DeepMind as vice president of research, bringing experience from leading AI projects at Google Brain, and is expected to steer the lab’s next generation of large‑scale models amid intensified competition.

Google is tightening its control over DeepMind, cutting the price of its Gemini 3.7 Flash offering by half and positioning the unit to compete directly with rivals such as Claude, signaling a shift toward commercial AI products.