AI researcher who helped in writing landmark paper is leaving Google

By Julia Love
 

An artificial intelligence researcher who co-authored one of Google’s most influential papers in the field is leaving the company to launch a startup.
 

Llion Jones, who helped write the pioneering AI paper “Attention Is All You Need,” confirmed to Bloomberg that he will depart Google Japan later this month. He said he plans to start a company after taking time off.

“It was not an easy decision leaving Google, it’s been a fantastic decade with them but it’s time to try something different,” Jones wrote in a message to Bloomberg. “It also feels like good timing to build something new given the momentum and progress in AI.”

A spokesperson for Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Since its publication in 2017, “Attention Is All You Need” has become a sensation in Silicon Valley. The paper introduced the concept of transformers, systems that help AI models zero in on the most important pieces of information in the data they are analyzing. Transformers are now key building blocks for large language models, the technology that underpins popular AI products such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT.

In the intervening years, the paper’s authors have launched notable startups, including Cohere, which offers LLMs to corporate customers, and Character.AI, which lets users create chatbots emulating celebrities and historical figures. With Jones’ departure, all eight authors have now left Google.