Thinking Machines Lab co-founder Barret Zoph joins Google
PUBLISHED Aug 27, 2026, 12:56 AM ET
Barret Zoph, co-founder of artificial intelligence startup Thinking Machines Lab and former OpenAI research executive, has joined Alphabet unit Google DeepMind as Vice President of Research, Zoph announced on Wednesday. Zoph previously spent six years as a research scientist at Google Brain before moving to OpenAI and briefly returning to the startup ecosystem. This appointment coincides with a broader restructuring within Alphabet’s artificial intelligence division, which includes internal team realignments and shifts in leadership roles. Zoph's expertise in large-scale model post-training and alignment strengthens DeepMind's research capabilities amid intense industry competition for elite artificial intelligence talent. The move highlights continuous executive and researcher mobility across leading artificial intelligence organizations as companies race to advance frontier capabilities.
By Michael Grant | JQJO News
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Barret Zoph announced joining Google DeepMind on August 27 2026. https://www.reuters.com/technology/artificial-intelligence/thinking-machines-lab-co-founder-barret-zoph-joins-google-2026-08-27/
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