Noam Shazeer, Google’s vice president of engineering and co-lead of Gemini AI, has resigned to join OpenAI. Shazeer was a central figure in developing Gemini, Google’s primary competitor to ChatGPT.
Shazeer co-authored the 2017 research paper that introduced transformer architecture. This technology serves as the essential foundation for modern large language models.
The departure highlights Google's challenges in retaining top-tier AI talent amid intense industry competition. Shazeer’s move strengthens OpenAI’s leadership as the company reportedly prepares for an initial public offering.