Google DeepMind's independence ends as leadership restructuring sidelines Hassabis

Demis Hassabis stepped down from his chief executive role to become chairman and chief scientist at Alphabet, while Koray Kavukcuoglu assumed a non-CEO senior vice-president position. The restructuring signals DeepMind's shift from independent entity to direct Google subsidiary, prioritizing commercial strategy over its original ethical mission. Staff expressed concern about losing trusted leadership at a critical moment, particularly amid tensions over Pentagon work and partnerships with the Department of Homeland Security. Employees noted that DeepMind has "become just another subdivision of Google," eroding the autonomy that historically defined the research institution.