John Jumper, the Nobel Prize-winning scientist who co-created AlphaFold at Google DeepMind, is leaving the company to join rival AI firm Anthropic, according to TechCrunch AI. The move represents a significant talent shift in the competitive AI industry.
Jumper shared the 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his work on AlphaFold, the groundbreaking AI system that predicts protein structures. His departure marks a notable loss for DeepMind, where he played a central role in one of the company’s most celebrated scientific achievements.
According to TechCrunch AI, Jumper is not the only prominent figure leaving Google DeepMind, though the report does not specify other departures. The move to Anthropic, an AI safety-focused company founded by former OpenAI executives, suggests continued competition for top AI research talent among leading organizations in the field.