In a significant move within the tech landscape, Barret Zoph has joined Google as Vice President of Research after a series of notable transitions in his career. Zoph previously co-founded the AI startup Thinking Machines in October 2024, alongside Mira Murati, following his departure from OpenAI. However, his time at Thinking Machines was short-lived; he was reportedly ousted before making a brief return to OpenAI, where he focused on enterprise sales for five months.
Following his exit from OpenAI in June 2026, Zoph has stepped into his new role at Google, a place where he has significant prior experience. Google's leadership has expressed optimism about Zoph's contributions, particularly in enhancing their AI research endeavors. His expertise in reinforcement learning and post-training techniques is expected to be particularly beneficial for their AI initiative, Gemini.
Key Points
- Barret Zoph co-founded Thinking Machines with Mira Murati in October 2024, after leaving OpenAI.
- Zoph faced a dramatic exit from Thinking Machines, reportedly being fired before a brief five-month tenure at OpenAI.
- He departed OpenAI in June 2026 and has now rejoined Google, where he previously worked.
- Google anticipates that Zoph's expertise will support their Gemini AI project.
- The AI sector is witnessing a high turnover of executives as companies like OpenAI face significant staff losses amidst IPO preparations.
This hiring highlights ongoing changes in the AI landscape, where companies are actively seeking experienced leaders to navigate the challenges of an evolving industry.
