Two leading artificial intelligence researchers at Alphabet Inc.'s Google are planning to leave the search giant for rival firm Anthropic PBC, according to people familiar with the matter on Monday, June 29, 2026.
Key Gemini AI model contributors Jonas Adler and Alexander Pritzel are set to join the developer of the Claude chatbot, potentially undercutting Google's competitive position in the AI market.
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Adler specialized in AI coding initiatives at Google, while Pritzel focused on the training processes for artificial intelligence systems, according to anonymous sources.
The departures follow other high-profile exits, including Nobel laureate John Jumper to Anthropic and researcher Noam Shazeer to OpenAI, which slightly lowered Alphabet shares during Wednesday trading.
Industry-Wide Talent Race
Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis addressed the broader industry environment during a recent tech event in Cannes, acknowledging the heightened competition for specialized personnel.
“There’s a lot of talent movement between all the leading labs and we win our fair share of the top talent.
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We have by far the biggest and broadest research bench of any of the labs out there,” said Hassabis.
The executive emphasized that the current environment represents the most aggressive race for tech expertise seen in recent history.
“It’s a ferociously competitive market right now, the most ferociously competitive it’s ever been in the tech industry,” Hassabis added.
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The talent shift comes amid a surge in recruitment activity as Anthropic secures new funding at a $965 billion valuation and targets an initial public offering as early as this fall.
