# AI researchers continue to leave Google for its rivals > Source: > Published: 2026-06-24 21:42:07+00:00 Top AI researchers Jonas Adler and Alexander Pritzel are leaving Google for Anthropic, according to [Bloomberg](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-06-24/google-poised-to-lose-two-more-high-profile-ai-staffers-to-anthropic). Per the report, Adler and Pritzel played key roles in the development of Google’s Gemini model. TechCrunch reached out to Google for comment. These departures are part of a concerning trend for Google. Last week, legendary AI researcher [Noam Shazeer](https://techcrunch.com/2024/08/02/character-ai-ceo-noam-shazeer-returns-to-google/) [announced](https://x.com/NoamShazeer/status/2067400851438932297) that he was [leaving Google](https://techcrunch.com/2026/06/18/openai-is-bringing-on-some-big-guns-in-the-lead-up-to-its-ipo/) for OpenAI. Shazeer had been at Google since 2000, save for the three years he spent building his [controversial](https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/07/google-and-character-ai-negotiate-first-major-settlements-in-teen-chatbot-death-cases/) chatbot startup, Character.AI (which Google effectively acquihired for $2.7 billion, in part to bring Shazeer back to work on Gemini). Just days after Shazeer made his announcement, Google DeepMind Director [John Jumper](https://techcrunch.com/2026/06/20/nobel-laureate-john-jumper-is-leaving-deepmind-for-rival-anthropic/) said he was leaving Google for Anthropic. Alongside DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis, Jumper won the 2024 [Nobel Prize in Chemistry](https://techcrunch.com/2024/10/09/deepminds-demis-hassabis-and-john-jumper-scoop-nobel-prize-in-chemistry-for-alphafold/) for his work on AlphaFold, which can predict 3D protein structures from animo acid sequences. As OpenAI and Anthropic [prepare to go public](https://techcrunch.com/2026/06/14/as-ai-companies-race-to-go-public-who-else-is-along-for-the-ride/), this trend could continue — it’s a great time for the companies to recruit top AI talent with a promise of equity.