A study by Zeki Data reveals that Google DeepMind is experiencing a massive exodus of elite researchers to competitors such as Anthropic, OpenAI, and Meta. DeepMind’s share of research and advanced-engineering hires in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa dropped from 49% in 2022-23 to 18.6% in 2025-26. Its arrivals-to-departures ratio fell from 12-to-1 in Q2 2023 to approximately 2-to-1 in Q3 2026, while Anthropic posted a ratio of 22-to-1. Recent departures include Jeff Dean, John Jumper (co-winner of the 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for AlphaFold), and David Silver, whose startup Ineffable Intelligence is now valued at $5.1 billion. Anthropic has become the primary destination for former DeepMind employees, attracting 25% of departures, followed by Meta at 21% and OpenAI at 14%.
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