Another Google Deepmind researcher quits, says building superintelligent AI soon is "inherently irresponsible"
A Google DeepMind researcher just quit over superintelligence timelines. Here's what his departure signals about internal dissent on AI safety.
Why it matters
High-profile researcher departure from a frontier lab, citing AI's acceleration pace as ethically unjustifiable. The story underscores growing internal skepticism at major AI labs about near-term AGI claims and highlights the gap between public messaging and private concern among technical staff.
The key facts
11 to knowRobert O'Callahan, Google DeepMind researcher, resigned citing 'current rate of change is far too high'
Previously worked on chip design tools that reduced AI compute costs and speed improvements
Claims many colleagues share safety concerns but 'rarely speak out'
No timeline for superintelligence capability given
Departure framed as personal ethics over technical disagreement
Robert O'Callahan quit Google Deepmind
He worked on chip design tools that reduced AI cost and speed
He states current AI rate of change is 'far too high'
He says building superintelligent AI soon is 'inherently irresponsible'
He claims many colleagues share concerns but don't speak publicly
Published Sept 25, 2026
Go to the source
The Decoderthe-decoder.com
Publisher excerpt: Google Deepmind researcher Robert O'Callahan has quit, saying AI's "current rate of change is far too high." He worked on chip design tools that helped make AI cheaper and faster, a contribution he can no longer justify. Many colleagues share his concerns but rarely speak out, he says.