Sep 17, 2026
Google DeepMind launched AlphaGenome Atlas, an AI tool that predicts molecular effects of roughly 9 billion possible single-letter changes in the human genome. The dataset spans over one petabyte and could accelerate genetic research and drug development.
The Trump administration is planning targeted bans on specific Chinese AI models rather than implementing blanket restrictions on open-weight models. The decision follows public pressure and an open letter from OpenAI and Google DeepMind opposing broad regulation.
The Trump administration is drafting requirements for AI companies including Google DeepMind, Microsoft, and xAI to share advanced models with the Commerce Department's Center for AI Standards and Innovation for security testing before public release. This represents a significant policy reversal from the administration's earlier stance against AI regulation.
At least 1,000 workers at Google DeepMind's London headquarters voted to unionize in an effort to prevent the AI firm's technology from being used by Israel and the US military. The union will represent workers if the company recognizes it.
Former Google DeepMind researcher David Silver raised a record $1.1 billion seed funding for Ineffable Intelligence, a British AI lab founded months ago focused on building AI that learns without human data. The company is valued at $5.1 billion.
Google co-founder Sergey Brin issued a memo to DeepMind employees mandating that every Gemini engineer use internal AI agents for complex tasks, forming a specialized team to catch up to Anthropic's Claude Code capabilities.
Four-month-old AI startup Recursive Superintelligence, founded by former Google DeepMind and OpenAI researchers, has raised at least $500 million at a $4 billion valuation to build self-improving AI systems.
DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis stated AGI could arrive within five years and compared its impact to ten industrial revolutions compressed into a single decade, while warning that AI is currently overhyped in some areas.
Anthropic has acquired Coefficient Bio, a biotech AI startup developing AI models for biological research, for approximately $400 million. This marks Anthropic's entry into AI-driven drug discovery, following similar moves by Google DeepMind's Isomorphic Labs.
The final co-founder of xAI has reportedly left the company, marking the complete departure of all 11 original co-founders from Elon Musk's AI venture. The exodus occurs amid intense competition for AI talent, with Meta reportedly offering packages worth up to $300 million over four years to retain top researchers.