# DeepMind researcher quits, calls near-term superintelligence 'inherently irresponsible'

> The Decoder reports Google DeepMind researcher Robert O'Callahan resigned, saying AI's current rate of change is too high and that building superintelligent AI soon is 'inherently irresponsible.'

- **Topic**: Society
- **Published**: 2026-09-27T14:21:00.889Z
- **Canonical URL**: https://highsignal.sh/stories/deepmind-researcher-quits-calls-near-term-superintelligence-inherently-8b3b5e53

## Why It Matters

The resignation is a rare public airing of internal unease at a leading lab, from a researcher whose own work made AI cheaper and faster to build.

## Key Findings & Analysis

### What happened

- Google DeepMind researcher Robert O'Callahan has quit, telling The Decoder that AI's current rate of change is far too high and that building superintelligent AI soon is 'inherently irresponsible' (The Decoder). One more recent notable exit from a frontier lab, and a pointed one: the concerns are coming from someone inside the work. The Decoder says many of his colleagues share these concerns but rarely speak out — an unverified characterization of internal sentiment attributed to the outlet. The Decoder also reported he worked on chip design tools that helped make AI cheaper and faster, a contribution he says he can no longer justify.

## Primary Sources & Citations

- [Another Google Deepmind researcher quits, says building superintelligent AI soon is "inherently irresponsible"](https://the-decoder.com/another-google-deepmind-researcher-quits-says-building-superintelligent-ai-soon-is-inherently-irresponsible/) — *The Decoder* (Reporting)

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