Alphabet shares tumble over 7% as AI leaders jump to rivals

Alphabet's stock fell more than 7% on Monday, marking its largest single‑day decline since February and wiping roughly $269 billion off its market value. The slide reflects investor anxiety after two senior AI executives left the company: John Jumper, a Nobel laureate, announced his move to the AI startup Anthropic, and Noam Shazeer said he is joining OpenAI. Analysts say the departures highlight a talent war in the artificial‑intelligence sector and raise doubts about Google DeepMind’s ability to stay ahead.

The broader tech market also saw losses, with Microsoft down about 2.5% after announcing a new data‑center build‑out and Meta Platforms slipping 2%. The developments underscore heightened competition among hyperscalers for AI expertise and could influence future investment in the industry.