Google needs a win in the AI race. Employees say moving Demis Hassabis into a chief scientist role is the kind of gambit that could deliver one as the industry pushes toward AI that can surpass human intelligence.
Google’s shock leadership reshuffle on Wednesday, which saw longtime chief scientist Jeff Dean depart and Hassabis step down as DeepMind CEO, comes at a critical juncture for the search giant.
After riding high in late 2025, the company is trailing the competition in coding — AI’s first big commercial takeoff — and continues to postpone its new frontier model.
Placing Hassabis in his new role at Google parent company Alphabet gives it…
