Overview
- Speaking at Stanford, Brin said retreating in 2019 left him “spiraling” and that staying retired would have been a “big mistake.”
- He returned as offices reopened and became deeply involved in developing Gemini, Google’s flagship AI model.
- Brin said Google initially underinvested in consumer AI and hesitated to release chatbots, while OpenAI seized the opportunity.
- Reporting says by 2023 he was in the office several times a week, working with researchers and weighing in on some hiring.
- In February he urged more in‑office work and called 60 hours a week a productivity “sweet spot,” as analysts recently praised Gemini 3 and OpenAI reportedly declared a “code red.”