Microsoft has secured a significant influx of AI talent from Google’s DeepMind, hiring 24 researchers, engineers, and product specialists over the past six months. The most prominent recruit, Amar Subramanya, former engineering head for Google’s Gemini chatbot, has joined Microsoft AI as corporate vice‑president, as confirmed in his LinkedIn announcement.
Subramanya, who spent 16 years at Google, expressed strong enthusiasm for his new environment, stating the culture at Microsoft is “refreshingly low ego yet bursting with ambition.” His responsibilities will include advancing Microsoft’s AI offerings, notably Copilot and Bing.
Other notable hires, as reported by Financial Times, include Sonal Gupta (engineering lead), Adam Sadovsky (formerly senior director at DeepMind), and Tim Frank (product manager), who have also transitioned into leadership roles within Microsoft’s expansion of its AI division.
These hiring efforts align with a broader strategy steered by Mustafa Suleyman, co‑founder of DeepMind and current head of Microsoft’s consumer AI unit. Suleyman arrived at Microsoft in March following a $650 million “acqui‑hire” of his startup Inflection, bringing along key talent and reinforcing the company’s AI capabilities.
His leadership now directly contrasts with his former DeepMind co-founder, Demis Hassabis, indicating intensifying rivalry between the two companies.
The aggressive recruitment spree is part of a larger industry battle for AI talent among tech giants. Microsoft’s hiring spree has driven compensation levels to new heights, with peer companies like Meta reportedly offering sign‑on bonuses as large as $100 million to attract top researchers, a practice criticized as “mercenary” by OpenAI’s Sam Altman.
This hiring also comes at a time when Microsoft has laid off over 15,000 employees in 2025 and is now urging remaining staff to upgrade AI skills. AI usage is becoming part of performance reviews as the company bets big on Copilot and automation.In internal messages, Microsoft has clearly told employees that using AI is no longer a choice—it’s now a must for everyone, no matter the job or level.
