SAN FRANCISCO — US scientist John Jumper, a senior research scientist at Google DeepMind and co-creator of the artificial intelligence system AlphaFold, said on Friday that he will leave the company to join AI startup Anthropic, marking a high-profile move in the artificial intelligence research sector. Jumper, who shared the 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry with Google DeepMind chief executive Demis Hassabis for work on AlphaFold, announced the transition after nearly nine years at the Google-owned research lab.
Jumper is best known for his role in developing AlphaFold, an AI system designed to predict the three-dimensional structures of proteins. Google DeepMind has said AlphaFold has contributed to scientific research by helping researchers study protein structures, with the system becoming widely used in biology and medicine.
In a statement shared on Friday, Jumper said he had decided to leave Google DeepMind and join Anthropic after taking time to recharge. “After nearly nine years, I have decided to leave Google DeepMind and join Anthropic,” Jumper said in his post.
Google DeepMind did not immediately announce details of Jumper’s departure or any changes to teams connected to his previous research work. Details about Jumper’s exact role at Anthropic, including the projects he will lead, remain unclear.
The move comes as major technology companies and AI-focused startups compete to attract experienced researchers in advanced artificial intelligence. Companies including Anthropic, OpenAI and Google have expanded efforts to develop new AI systems and scientific applications, increasing demand for researchers with expertise in machine learning and related fields.
Jumper’s departure follows other senior AI talent movements involving major technology companies. Reports said several prominent researchers and executives have moved between leading AI organizations as competition in the industry continues.
Google DeepMind has continued its research across artificial intelligence, including work involving science, coding and large-scale AI models. The company was formed through the combination of Google’s AI research efforts and DeepMind, which Google acquired in 2014.
Anthropic, founded by former OpenAI researchers, develops AI systems and focuses on research into reliable and safer artificial intelligence. The company has not provided public details on how Jumper’s experience with scientific AI systems will be incorporated into its work.
As of Sunday, Jumper’s move to Anthropic remained the latest major personnel change involving a leading AI researcher. Google DeepMind and Anthropic had not released additional details on the transition beyond the announcement.
