The Download: Google’s AI shake-up and Meta’s rogue model

Google has announced a major shake-up of its AI operations, with DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis stepping back to become chairman and Alphabet's chief scientist, CTO Koray Kavukcuoglu taking over as senior vice-president, and former chief scientist Jeff Dean leaving after 27 years to launch a new AI startup called Discovery Loop with three former colleagues. The changes come as Google's AI unit turned cash flow negative for the first time on record in the latest quarter, and the company shifts its strategy from specialized tools like AlphaFold toward agentic AI systems.

The Download: Google’s AI shake-up and Meta’s rogue model Plus: Meta has become the latest firm to say its AI hacked another company. This is today's edition of The Download https://forms.technologyreview.com/newsletters/briefing-the-download/? ga=2.179569122.736533416.1649661040-405833893.1649413289 , our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what's going on in the world of technology. Google’s AI empire is being reshaped. Here’s what’s changed. After a wave of painful losses in the tech talent wars https://www.businessinsider.com/google-ai-talent-wars-anthropic-jumper-shazeer-karpathy-openai-2026-6 , delays to its next flagship model https://www.cnbc.com/2026/07/16/alphabet-stock-gemini-3-5-pro-ai.html , and murmurings of poor morale https://www.axios.com/2026/07/23/googles-deep-mind-ai-model-race , Google has announced a major shake-up to its AI operations. Here's a quick rundown of what’s happened and why it matters. DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis is stepping back from running the unit day-to-day He’s becoming the unit’s chairman and Alphabet's chief scientist https://www.axios.com/2026/08/05/google-deepmind-demis-hassabis-ai , a broader role. DeepMind will now be led by CTO Koray Kavukcuoglu, under the title of senior vice-president. DeepMind may be absorbed into Google's wider business Google is expected to tighten its control over the AI lab https://www.ft.com/content/61d41764-f2f7-4906-a112-ff3073972c51?syn-25a6b1a6=1 , which it acquired 12 years ago. Jeff Dean is leaving to start a new AI company After 27 years at Google, the company’s former chief scientist is launching Discovery Loop with three former colleagues https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/05/technology/google-researchers-ai-startup.html . The startup’s goal is to fully automate the process of scientific research, and Google is one of its early investors. The changes come amid financial concerns at Google AI In the latest quarter, the company turned cash flow negative https://www.cnbc.com/2026/08/05/google-chief-scientist-jeff-dean-leaving-company-after-27-years.html for the first time on record. Google is now concentrating its AI leadership in California https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-08-06/google-shifts-ai-power-to-california-in-race-against-anthropic-openai . The company is now shifting its AI science strategy It’s moving from specialized tools, like DeepMind’s AlphaFold, toward agentic AI systems that can conduct research more autonomously. Find out more in our recent story https://www.technologyreview.com/2026/05/22/1137813/google-i-o-showed-how-the-path-for-ai-science-is-shifting/?utm source=the download&utm medium=email&utm campaign=the download.unpaid.engagement&utm term= %7CSUBCLASS%7C &utm content= %7CDATE:m-d-Y%7C . We're excited to share that MIT Technology Review is now on Instagram Reels https://www.instagram.com/technologyreview/reels/ and YouTube Shorts https://www.youtube.com/@technologyreview/shorts , as well as LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/mit-technology-review/ and WhatsApp https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaYJXzgChq6Dm1g6od0L . You can hear straight from MIT Technology Review journalists in the channels and formats you prefer as they help you understand what’s happening next in the ever-changing world of technology—and what it means for you—all while offering a behind-the-scenes look at their reporting. To get you started, let our senior climate reporter Casey Crownhart fill you in on how lasers could help provide fuel for nuclear power https://youtube.com/shorts/14UBFdNkQOo?feature=share , or have senior investigative reporter Eileen Guo help you understand what World’s new push into identity verification means for our privacy. https://www.instagram.com/p/DXr83EzCVF-/ The must-reads I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology. 1 Meta has become the latest firm to say its AI hacked another company It blamed a “misconfiguration” by an independent cybersecurity tester. CNN https://edition.cnn.com/2026/08/05/tech/meta-ai-hacking + The model reportedly involved was Muse Spark 1.1. The Information https://www.theinformation.com/articles/meta-ai-model-hacked-another-company-cybersecurity-testing $ + It follows similar breaches by OpenAI and Anthropic models. Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/aug/05/meta-ai-model-hack-training + This is why AI agents can lie to reach their goals. MIT Technology Review https://www.technologyreview.com/2026/08/03/1141009/heres-why-ai-agents-lie-and-cheat-to-reach-their-goals/?utm source=the download&utm medium=email&utm campaign=the download.unpaid.engagement&utm term= %7CSUBCLASS%7C &utm content= %7CDATE:m-d-Y%7C 2 Samsung and SK Hynix are testing Chinese chip tools amid US export curbs The Korean chip giants are hedging against tighter restrictions. Reuters https://www.reuters.com/world/china/samsung-sk-hynix-test-chinese-chip-tools-hedge-against-us-risks-2026-08-05/ $ + Beijing has launched a probe into Palo Alto Networks. Bloomberg https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-08-06/china-launches-cybersecurity-review-into-palo-alto-networks?srnd=phx-technology $ + US-China tech tensions are rising ahead of the Xi-Trump summit. SCMP https://www.scmp.com/economy/policy/article/3363062/disputes-over-ai-robotics-trade-mount-ahead-planned-xi-trump-summit-us?utm source=feedly feed 3 London just granted robotaxis a license to operate On the condition that they still have a human driver, for now. BBC https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c3w07qg43j6o + Uber plans to spend over $10 billion expanding its robotaxi network. FT https://www.ft.com/content/04d6fcb4-03e4-4ee5-9017-ccaa7808c934 $ 4 Scientists have created gene-edited dogs that don’t trigger allergies They used CRISPR to remove a reaction-causing protein. Wired https://www.wired.com/story/gene-edited-puppies-wont-trigger-allergies/ $ + And now want approval to start selling the beagles. New Scientist https://www.newscientist.com/article/2583502-two-dogs-lack-the-protein-that-causes-allergies-thanks-to-gene-editing/?utm campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm content=home&utm medium=RSS&utm source=NSNS $ + Other firms are planning gene-edited babies. MIT Technology Review https://www.technologyreview.com/2025/10/31/1127461/heres-the-latest-company-planning-for-gene-edited-babies/?utm source=the download&utm medium=email&utm campaign=the download.unpaid.engagement&utm term= %7CSUBCLASS%7C &utm content= %7CDATE:m-d-Y%7C 5 OpenAI has asked a judge to toss Apple’s trade secrets lawsuit The ChatGPT maker called Apple’s allegations “meritless.” Verge https://www.theverge.com/tech/976042/openai-apple-trade-secrets-lawsuit-dismissal-request + And claimed the suit is an attempt to stem an employee exodus. FT https://www.ft.com/content/d9e9cbbe-8443-4c10-821a-1834e4965236?syn-25a6b1a6=1 $ 6 AI is reviving Silicon Valley's super-app dream Tech giants are merging products into all-in-one assistants. Business Insider https://www.businessinsider.com/ai-super-app-vision-google-openai-microsoft-silicon-valley-2026-8 + Is a secure AI assistant possible? MIT Technology Review https://www.technologyreview.com/2026/02/11/1132768/is-a-secure-ai-assistant-possible/?utm source=the download&utm medium=email&utm campaign=the download.unpaid.engagement&utm term= %7CSUBCLASS%7C &utm content= %7CDATE:m-d-Y%7C 7 A mystery book-buying spree has sparked new AI fears The buyers’ identities remain unclear amid data concerns. Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/2026/08/ai-companies-buying-used-books-for-data/688167/?utm source=feed $ 8 Restaurants, pubs, and theatres are banning Meta’s “spy glasses” The venues have cited privacy threats to customers. Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/aug/06/restaurants-pubs-and-theatres-ban-metas-spy-glasses-over-privacy-fears 9 The SpaceX moon crash has created a unique scientific experiment It could reveal more about lunar soil and space debris. BBC https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c62q0xerzrno 10 AI is helping to perfect the Pringle It involves over 200 data points, from humidity to harvest location. WSJ https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/inside-the-long-ai-powered-quest-to-perfect-pringle-making-ab37a231 $ Quote of the day “ This could be the first real crisis moment for a company that has been stalwart for a long time.” —Jeremy Nixon, a former Google Brain researcher and the founder of AI infrastructure company Infinity, tells the New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/05/technology/google-ai-leadership.html that Jeff Dean’s departure jeopardizes Google’s future. One More Thing How AI can help supercharge creativity Generative tools put out by companies like OpenAI and Google DeepMind can automate a striking range of creative tasks and offer near-instant gratification—but at what cost? Some artists and researchers fear that such technology could turn us into passive consumers of yet more AI slop. And so they are looking for ways to inject human creativity back into the process. The aim is to develop AI tools that augment our creativity rather than strip it from us—pushing us to be better at composing music, developing games, designing toys, and much more—and lay the groundwork for a future in which humans and machines create things together. —Will Douglas Heaven We can still have nice things A place for comfort, fun, and distraction to brighten up your day. Got any ideas? Drop me a line . + This timelapse of the universe https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTQVZuBV9oA condenses 13 billion years into 10 extraordinary minutes. + Japanese artist Miwa Ito turns molten glass into tempting treats https://www.designboom.com/art/japanese-miwa-ito-molten-glass-forbidden-treats-food/ that really are too good to eat. + This cartoon https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/cartoons/74117/stephen-collinss-cartoon-dating-the-algorithm about dating an algorithm is almost painfully on point. + What would happen if philosophers designed games? Writing teacher Ryan Weber has some ingenious answers https://www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/descartes-against-humanity-and-other-games-designed-by-famous-philosophers . Deep Dive The Download The Download: Claude’s inner workings and OpenAI’s “super app” Plus: OpenAI has unveiled its long-awaited "super app." The Download: Claude’s inner workings, and the future of world models Plus: New York has become the first state to enact a data center moratorium. The Download: the future of chipmaking and Anthropic’s government clash Plus: Meta is pausing an AI training program that tracks workers’ keystrokes. The Download: a reality check for geoengineering and the science of interoception Plus: SpaceX is now valued higher than Amazon. Stay connected Get the latest updates from MIT Technology Review Discover special offers, top stories, upcoming events, and more.