Barret Zoph Joins Google After Leaving OpenAI and Thinking Machines

Barret Zoph, co-founder of AI startup Thinking Machines, has joined Google as vice president of research, adding another move to the ongoing reshuffling of senior artificial intelligence executives across major technology companies.

Zoph previously worked at Google before joining OpenAI, where he spent about two years. He left OpenAI in October 2024 and later co-founded Thinking Machines with former OpenAI executive Mira Murati, who had departed the company the month before.

In January, Zoph and fellow co-founder Luke Metz left Thinking Machines in a move that appeared to bring them back to OpenAI. However, reports later revealed that Zoph had been fired from Thinking Machines before returning to the AI company.

Zoph’s second period at OpenAI lasted about five months, during which he led AI enterprise sales before leaving in June.

Google has now confirmed Zoph’s return as vice president of research. A company spokesperson told The Wall Street Journal that Google welcomed Zoph back and pointed to his experience in reinforcement learning and post-training work for Gemini.

The move comes amid frequent leadership changes across the AI industry. OpenAI has seen several senior executives leave in recent months, while major AI companies continue competing for experienced researchers and technical leaders.

Zoph’s return to Google places him back at a company where he previously worked and highlights the ongoing movement of AI talent among leading technology organisations.