Recently, Yao Shunyu, an outstanding alumnus of the Department of Physics at Tsinghua University, officially announced that he left the renowned AI company Anthropic on September 19 and joined Google's DeepMind on September 29. This news has undoubtedly attracted widespread attention in the industry.
Yao Shunyu is a talented young scientist. He entered the Department of Physics at Tsinghua University in 2015 and began taking graduate-level theoretical courses during his second year. In 2019, after graduating with a bachelor's degree, he went to Stanford University to pursue a doctorate, and later conducted postdoctoral research at the University of California, Berkeley. In October 2024, he chose to join Anthropic, contributing to the advancement of the Claude model, upgrading it from version 3.7 to 4.5. His rapid growth in the AI field and his exploration of new technologies are impressive.
Regarding the reason for his career change, Yao Shunyu stated that traditional theoretical physics research is often limited by experimental conditions, leaving limited space for breakthroughs among young scholars. However, although the AI field has not yet formed a complete theoretical framework, it offers opportunities to explore practical laws through systematic experiments, which is more attractive to the new generation of researchers. In his view, Anthropic was the best starting point for his AI research journey, but now he is ready to face new challenges.
In DeepMind, Yao Shunyu will have the opportunity to work with top scientists and engineers around the world, further advancing AI technology. He was surprised by the rapid development of AI and looks forward to continuing to learn and grow in the new environment. His career transition is not only a new starting point for personal development, but also a symbol of Chinese scientific power emerging on the international AI stage.
Whether it is the solid background in theoretical physics or the practical experience in the AI field, Yao Shunyu's joining undoubtedly brings new vitality to DeepMind. His story reminds us again that, in the ever-changing technological frontiers, the courage to transform and explore is a necessary path for every researcher.
