Barret Zoph, the Thinking Machines co-founder ousted before joining OpenAI, is now at Google
The high-stakes game of musical chairs among top-tier AI talent shows no signs of slowing down. Barret Zoph, a prominent figure in the artificial intelligence landscape and co-founder of Thinking Machines, has officially secured his next role, marking yet another chapter in a whirlwind career trajectory.
A Turbulent Career Path
Zoph’s professional journey over the past two years has been defined by rapid transitions between the industry's most influential labs. After a two-year tenure at OpenAI, he departed in October 2024 to launch Thinking Machines alongside Mira Murati, who had exited OpenAI just a month earlier.
However, the startup venture proved short-lived for Zoph. In January, he and co-founder Luke Metz made a dramatic exit from Thinking Machines to return to OpenAI. It was later disclosed that Zoph had been fired from the startup prior to this move. His second stint at OpenAI was equally brief; tasked with leading AI enterprise sales, Zoph remained for only five months before departing in June.
Returning to Google
Zoph has now landed at Google, stepping into the role of Vice President of Research. This move represents a homecoming, as Zoph is a former Google employee. The tech giant appears eager to leverage his specialized background to bolster its flagship AI efforts.
“We look forward to Barret returning to Google and bringing his RL and post-training expertise to Gemini,” a Google spokesperson stated.
Industry Context and Turnover
Zoph’s frequent job changes highlight a broader trend of instability within the AI sector. OpenAI, in particular, has faced significant scrutiny due to a high volume of executive departures over the last eight months. From the exit of its COO to the loss of key data center leadership, the company’s internal churn has left industry observers questioning the stability of its organizational structure as it prepares for a potential IPO.
- Key Career Moves:
- OpenAI: Two-year tenure, followed by a brief five-month return.
- Thinking Machines: Co-founder and former CTO; departed after being fired.
- Google: Current Vice President of Research, focusing on Gemini development.