Barret Zoph, a co-founder and former CTO of Thinking Machines Lab, has recently taken a new position as vice president of research at Google. Zoph originally left OpenAI in late 2023 to co-found Thinking Machines alongside Mira Murati. However, in early 2026, Zoph and fellow co-founder Luke Metz abruptly left the startup to return to OpenAI. Subsequent reports revealed that Zoph had been terminated from Thinking Machines prior to this return.

Zoph’s second stint at OpenAI lasted only five months, ending in June 2026, where he was responsible for overseeing AI enterprise sales. His departure highlighted ongoing turbulence within the AI sector, particularly the high turnover rate of top talent and executives at major organizations like OpenAI. These leadership changes come amid OpenAI’s preparations for an IPO and rapid growth, which have not stemmed a recent wave of high-profile exits.

Returning to familiar ground, Zoph has rejoined Google, where he previously worked. Google confirmed he will contribute his expertise in reinforcement learning (RL) and post-training methods to their Gemini AI project. His move reflects the continued jockeying among leading AI researchers and executives between key players such as Google, OpenAI, and emerging startups in the competitive AI landscape.

The AI industry’s fast-paced and sometimes volatile hiring environment shows no sign of abating as companies hunt for specialized skills to maintain innovation leadership. Zoph’s career trajectory underscores both the opportunities and challenges for AI professionals navigating evolving roles amid intense competition across technology giants and startups alike.