Overview
- On Alphabet’s Q2 call, Sundar Pichai acknowledged stepped-up recruiting of Google DeepMind staff by Microsoft, Meta and OpenAI.
- He said internal retention and new‑hire indicators remain healthy, though Google declined to share figures when asked.
- Pichai argued that access to cutting‑edge compute and work at the research frontier are key to keeping top researchers.
- A SignalFire analysis cited in the coverage found researchers are far more likely to move from Google to Anthropic than the other way around.
- Analysts including Bernstein’s Mark Shmulik warn rising compensation is pushing up AI costs, as Meta’s Superintelligence Labs highlights high‑profile hires such as former Googler Pei Sun.