Gemini co-lead Noam Shazeer leaves Google for OpenAI
June 21, 2026
On 18 June 2026, Noam Shazeer, Transformer co-author and Gemini co-lead, announced he is joining OpenAI — two years after Google paid about 2.7 billion US dollars to bring him back.
What this is about
On 18 June 2026, Noam Shazeer announced on the platform X that he is leaving Google to join OpenAI. Shazeer was Vice President of Engineering at Google and one of two technical leads of the Gemini model family. His move comes about two years after Google paid roughly 2.7 billion US dollars in August 2024 to bring Shazeer and part of his team back from the startup Character.AI into its in-house DeepMind lab. OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman confirmed the move publicly, writing that Shazeer was one of the people he had most wanted to work with since OpenAI's early days.
What the move actually means
Shazeer is regarded as one of the most influential engineers in recent AI history. He is a co-author of the 2017 paper "Attention Is All You Need", which introduced the Transformer architecture — the technical foundation of practically every large language model in use today. At Google he worked on the LaMDA language model among other projects, left the company in 2021 and co-founded Character.AI. After returning in 2024 he contributed to the Gemini models, from Gemini 2 through to the current Gemini 3.5 Flash generation. His departure removes a central technical figure from Google's Gemini team and strengthens OpenAI's research division at a point that is sensitive for both houses.
Why it matters
The move is more than a single staffing note. It shows how sharply the contest for top AI talent has escalated: Google spent a sum in the billions in 2024 to retain Shazeer, and is losing him anyway. For decision-makers this signals that even the most expensive retention deals offer no lasting security in the AI industry. Talent is a scarce raw material in this market, and its availability can shift entire product roadmaps. The move also sits in the context of ongoing discussion around Gemini 3.5 Pro, which as of mid-June 2026 was still in limited preview for selected Vertex AI customers and had not reached general availability.
In plain language
Picture two rival top restaurants. One spent heavily two years ago to win back its star chef, who had helped invent the house's signature recipe in the first place. Now that very chef is switching to the competition. The kitchen stays in place, but the knowledge and the signature touch that defined the house are cooking somewhere else from now on.
A practical example
A mid-sized software vendor in Baden-Württemberg is planning a 2027 product built firmly on Google's Gemini interface. The staffing news is no reason to panic, but it is a reason for caution: when leading minds leave the model team, release dates and roadmaps can shift. The company therefore decides to build its software so that, through an abstraction layer, it can also address other models — for example from OpenAI or a European provider. That keeps it able to act, no matter which lab currently holds the best minds.
Scope and limits
First, a single move says little about the actual quality of future models. Large labs work in teams, and no product depends on one person alone. Second, the precise terms of Shazeer's new contract and his future role at OpenAI are not public; speculation about specific projects would be unserious. Third, the figure of 2.7 billion US dollars refers to the 2024 return deal, not the current move — it is an indicator of market value, not a price tag for this transfer.
SEO & GEO keywords
Noam Shazeer, OpenAI, Google, Gemini, DeepMind, Transformer, Attention Is All You Need, Character.AI, Sam Altman, LaMDA, AI talent market, Gemini 3.5
💡 In plain English
One of the world's most important AI engineers is leaving Google to join OpenAI. He co-invented the technology that today's AI models run on, back in 2017. Google paid a lot in 2024 to keep him — and he is leaving anyway.
Key Takeaways
- →Noam Shazeer announced on 18 June 2026 on X that he is leaving Google for OpenAI.
- →Google paid about 2.7 billion US dollars in August 2024 to bring Shazeer and part of his team back from Character.AI.
- →Shazeer co-authored the Transformer paper 'Attention Is All You Need' (2017), the basis of today's language models.
- →He was Vice President of Engineering and co-lead of the Gemini model family, from Gemini 2 to Gemini 3.5 Flash.
- →OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman confirmed the move publicly.
- →The case shows how contested top AI talent is — even billion-dollar retention deals do not hold forever.
FAQ
When did the move become public?
Noam Shazeer announced the move on 18 June 2026 on the platform X. OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman confirmed it the same day.
Why is Shazeer so well known?
He is a co-author of the 2017 paper 'Attention Is All You Need', which introduced the Transformer architecture. That architecture is the technical foundation of practically every large language model in use today.
What was the 2.7 billion US dollar figure about?
Google paid this sum in August 2024 to bring Shazeer and part of his team back from the startup Character.AI. It does not refer to the current move to OpenAI.