In the initial days of Google ‘s Deepmind artificial intelligence, Facebook had almost acquired the startup. Therefore, Demis Hassabis, the co-founder of DeepMind, had to choose between two tech giants which were Google and Facebook. Even though Facebook offered more money, he decided to go with Google in 2014 for around $650 million.
This choice for Demis Hassabis wasn’t about who paid more. Instead, it was about which company better matched his vision for the future of AI, as told by Demis Hassabis to a new Wall Street Journal excerpt from Sebastian Mallaby’s upcoming bookThe Infinity Machine
Important dinner meeting
One important moment in this story happened during a dinner at Mark Zuckerberg’s Palo Alto home. Demis Hassabis used this meeting to understand how serious Facebook about artificial intelligence was.
While Facebook was interested in buying DeepMind, Hassabis felt that the company was more focused on business growth than on long-term AI research and safety. This raised concerns for him because he believed AI should be developed carefully and responsibly, not just for profit.
Demis Hassabis deliberately tested Zuckerberg during that dinner. He steered the conversation away from AI and into virtual reality, augmented reality, and 3D printing. Zuckerberg sounded equally excited about all of them. For Hassabis, that was the tell. “Facebook offered more money, but I wanted somebody who really understood why AI would be bigger than all these other things,” Hassabis said, per the WSJ excerpt.
Why Google stood out?
Google, on the other hand, offered something different. Larry Page spoke about the bigger picture building advanced AI in a way that benefits society in the long run.
This matched Hassabis’ own goals. He wasn’t just looking for a buyer; he wanted a partner who would support DeepMind’s research and give it the freedom to grow. Google seemed like the better fit for that vision.
More than a deal
Although Facebook’s higher offer gave Hassabis some advantage during negotiations, it wasn’t the deciding factor. His final decision was based on values like research freedom, ethics, and long-term impact.
This shows that in the tech world; decisions are not always about money. Sometimes, the direction and purpose of the work matter more.
Conclusion
Looking back, Demis Hassabis’ choice had a huge impact. By joining Google, DeepMind became one of the world’s leading AI research labs.