Google DeepMind started moving faster by acting like a startup, Demis Hassabis says

Demis Hassabis says Google DeepMind had to return to its startup roots after the Brain merger

In short: Demis Hassabis, speaking on the 20VC podcast with Harry Stebbings in early April 2026, described how Google DeepMind has accelerated its pace over the past two to three years by merging Google Brain’s compute resources with DeepMind’s research culture and returning to what he called a “startup or entrepreneurial” way of working. He also […] This story continues at The Next Web

Google DeepMind started moving faster by acting like a startup, Demis Hassabis says

"A lot of it was assembling together all the ingredients we already had," Hassabis said about changes Google DeepMind made.Bloomberg/Getty ImagesGoogle DeepMind's CEO said the lab merged resources with other areas of Google to catch up to rivals.Demis Hassabis said the lab started moving with a startup-like focus and pace.The change combined all of Google's AI resources, including compute, a major bottleneck for AI research.One reorg led Google …

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