Barret Zoph Joins Google as Vice President of Research

AI specialist Barret Zoph is changing companies once again. After a brief return to OpenAI and his departure from Thinking Machines, he is now the Vice President of Research at Google, where he has previously worked. This appointment comes as executive movements accelerate in the AI sector, particularly at OpenAI.

OpenAI Faces High Turnover as IPO Preparation Begins

OpenAI is preparing for an initial public offering. The company has lost many key members over the past eight months, with departures ranging from the COO to one of its main data center leaders. More broadly, the AI sector is experiencing a high turnover rate, a phenomenon particularly pronounced at OpenAI.

Two Years at OpenAI, Thinking Machines, Then Five Months Back

Barret Zoph worked for two years at OpenAI before leaving the company in October 2024 to co-found Thinking Machines with Mira Murati, who left the previous month. In January, he departed from Thinking Machines with Luke Metz to return to OpenAI, where he took charge of enterprise AI sales. He was laid off from Thinking Machines. His second stint at OpenAI lasted five months, and he left the company in June.

Google Hires Him as Vice President of Research, with Contributions Announced for Gemini

Barret Zoph has joined Google as Vice President of Research, returning to a company where he had previously worked. According to a Google spokesperson, the company is counting on him to leverage his skills in reinforcement learning and post-training for the benefit of Gemini.