AI & Enterprise

Google Alphafold team effectively dismantled, staff reassigned to Gemini

Google DeepMind has effectively dismantled the team behind Alphafold, the Financial Times reported on July 29. The report said Google reassigned core Alphafold staff and most original paper authors to other units, with some already leaving the company. DeepMind began Alphafold in 2018 and was credited in 2020 with effectively solving the protein-folding problem. In 2024, Demis Hassabis and John Jumper won the Nobel chemistry prize for the research.

Industry

Tesla, Boston Dynamics gain as U.S. move hurts Chinese robot firms

The United States has effectively blocked new imports and sales of foreign-made advanced robots by halting new certifications, slowing Chinese robotics firms’ push into the U.S. market. The Federal Communications Commission added advanced robotic devices to its covered list, citing supply-chain vulnerabilities and cybersecurity threats, while previously certified models are unaffected for now. China protested, calling it protectionism. Analysts said the timing may benefit U.S. firms such as Tesla, Figure and Boston Dynamics.