Google’s new AI boss inherits a race to catch OpenAI and Anthropic
Google's DeepMind gets a new leader as the lab race heats up — Kavukcuoglu inherits the pressure to close the gap on OpenAI and Anthropic.
Why it matters
A significant leadership change at one of the frontier labs signals internal repositioning in the race for frontier AI capability. The move reflects competitive pressure and may reshape Google's model development strategy.
The key facts
7 to knowKoray Kavukcuoglu appointed as new head of Google DeepMind
DeepMind tasked with keeping Gemini competitive against OpenAI and Anthropic
Published August 12, 2026
Leadership change at a frontier lab during active competitive phase
Koray Kavukcuoglu appointed to lead Google DeepMind
Google positioning Gemini against OpenAI and Anthropic
Leadership change amid competitive pressure in frontier AI
Go to the source
CNBC Technologycnbc.com
Publisher excerpt: Koray Kavukcuoglu is taking charge of Google DeepMind as it tries to keep Gemini competitive with OpenAI and Anthropic.