Google DeepMind Scientist Departs to Alibaba as Gemini Hits 750M Users
Google DeepMind senior staff scientist Zhou Hao has joined Alibaba’s Qwen AI team following Qwen tech lead Junyang Lin’s departure, representing a talent loss for Alphabet’s AI division. Meanwhile, Google Cloud’s Gemini reached 750 million monthly users and annual revenue topped $400 billion, driven by AI and cloud momentum.
1. DeepMind Loses Senior Research Scientist
Zhou Hao, formerly a senior staff research scientist at Google DeepMind, has been appointed head of post-training research for Alibaba’s Qwen AI after tech lead Junyang Lin stepped down and Yu Bowen also departed. This move marks a notable talent shift away from Alphabet’s AI research arm.
2. Gemini Adoption and Revenue Milestone
Google Cloud’s Gemini service surged to 750 million monthly users, up from 400 million nine months earlier, reinforcing cloud as a primary growth engine. Alphabet reported annual revenue exceeding $400 billion for the first time, driven by its digital advertising dominance and expanded AI initiatives.