OpenAI Sora Co-Lead Departs for Google DeepMind
Tim Brooks, a key developer behind OpenAI's Sora video generator, leaves for Google DeepMind to build advanced world simulators.
Tim Brooks, a co-lead developer on OpenAI's video generation model Sora, leaves the company to join Google DeepMind. He announces the transition on social media, stating that he plans to focus on video generation technologies and building "world simulators" at Google's AI research division. Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis publicly welcomes Brooks to the team.
The concept of a world simulator involves creating AI models that generate interactive, controllable virtual environments. DeepMind explores this idea with its recent Genie model, which transforms images or sketches into playable digital worlds. Researchers believe this technology holds potential for applications ranging from game design to training robotic agents for real-world deployment.
Brooks plays a foundational role at OpenAI by helping to launch the Sora project in early 2023 and guiding its training direction. His departure occurs as Sora faces technical challenges that slow its progress compared to competing video generators from companies like Runway and Luma. Meanwhile, Google prepares to introduce its own video generation model, Veo, to platforms like YouTube Shorts.