#jeff-dean

Google DeepMind Leadership Shakeup: Hassabis Steps Aside, Dean Exits, Discovery Loop Born — What It Means for Gemini and the AI Frontier

On August 5, 2026, Google announced a seismic leadership overhaul: Demis Hassabis steps down as DeepMind CEO to become Alphabet Chief Scientist, Koray Kavukcuoglu takes over as SVP, and four senior researchers including Jeff Dean exit to found Discovery Loop — a public benefit corporation backed by Google. Covers the official announcements, the Discovery Loop founding team and mission, market reaction ($190B erased), the Gemini 3.5 Pro delay context, and strategic implications for the frontier AI race.