In a major development underscoring the escalating competition for top AI talent, Amar Subramanya, former VP of Engineering for Google’s Gemini chatbot, has joined Microsoft as Corporate Vice-President of AI. Announcing his move on LinkedIn, Subramanya described Microsoft’s work culture as “refreshingly low ego yet bursting with ambition,” indicating a new and promising phase in his leadership trajectory.
Subramanya’s transition is just one example of a broader trend reflecting the intensifying AI talent race among tech giants. According to a report by the Financial Times, Microsoft has brought on over 20 former Google DeepMind employees in the past six months alone. This growing list of recruits includes notable figures such as Sonal Gupta (engineering lead), Adam Sadovsky (software engineer), and Tim Frank (product manager)—all of whom previously held prominent roles at DeepMind.
This aggressive recruitment strategy comes as Microsoft continues to ramp up its AI capabilities, particularly under the leadership of Mustafa Suleyman, co-founder of DeepMind, who now heads Microsoft’s consumer AI division. His presence has added a personal dimension to the rivalry with Demis Hassabis, current CEO of DeepMind and Suleyman’s former colleague.
As the AI arms race heats up, talent is the new currency. The stakes have never been higher as companies vie for the brightest minds in artificial intelligence to power the next generation of consumer and enterprise tools.
Adding to the competitive climate, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman recently took aim at Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, criticizing the company’s hiring practices and accusing it of encouraging “mercenary” behavior with signing bonuses reportedly soaring to $100 million. Meta, too, has been aggressively expanding its AI efforts—most recently hiring two AI researchers from Apple to strengthen its Superintelligence Labs team.
As Microsoft continues to draw top talent from rivals and reshape its AI leadership, Subramanya’s appointment signals not only a strategic win for the company but also a clear marker of the intensifying race for AI supremacy.
