‘London Rule’ that explains why AI researchers are leaving Google for Anthropic & OpenAI

Four senior AI researchers have left Google DeepMind in under two weeks, joining rivals Anthropic and OpenAI. The common thread isn’t pay—it’s London. UK non-compete rules, enforceable unlike in California, explain why Nobel laureate John Jumper won’t start at Anthropic until next year. With compute shifting to Mountain View and pre-IPO equity on offer, Google’s London research bench is quietly draining westward.