Google DeepMind’s reported clampdown on sharing research will stifle AI innovation, warns the CEO of Iris.ai, one of Europe’s leading startups in the space.
The UK-based lab has tightened its rules on releasing AI studies, the Financial Times reported this week. Citing seven current and former DeepMind scientists, the newspaper said the company has introduced stricter vetting and additional bureaucracy, making it harder to publish research. The changes aim to protect the company’s edge in AI, the sources said.
Acquired by Google in 2014, DeepMind has long been a leader in computer science breakthroughs. In recent years, however, the lab has faced increasing competition from the likes of OpenAI and DeepSeek. Under growing pressure to stay ahead, the company is reportedly erecting new barriers around its innovations and reputation.
The new constraints have alarmed Anita Schjøll Abildgaard, co-founder and CEO of Iris.ai, a Norwegian startup developing an AI-powered engine for science. She fears DeepMind’s restrictions will hinder technological advances.
“DeepMind’s decision marks the end of an era of openness and collaboration in AI research,” she said.
The impact on AI
On first impression, the changes at DeepMind may appear beneficial for other AI labs. The company’s pioneering innovations and enormous citation counts have overshadowed other researchers in the field, who could now receive a larger share of the spotlight. But Abildgaard warns the drawbacks will far outweigh the benefits.
“Researchers across industries will have less access to DeepMind’s undoubtedly impressive work,” she said.
She pointed to the example of DeepMind’s AlphaFold, a system that predicts protein structure with remarkable accuracy. The software has been hailed as a solution to one of biology’s biggest mysteries, with potential to fuel countless advances, from discovering new drugs to tackling climate change.
“It’s hard to imagine projects of this importance being released so readily under this new diktat,” Abildgaard said.
The impacts, she warned, could be severe. In response, she urged AI companies to strengthen their commitment to openness.
“Europe, in particular, has one of the most fertile open-source research communities in the world,” she said. “As DeepMind looks inwards, smaller research communities can differentiate themselves from the American giants by embracing collaboration.”
Europe’s AI sector features prominently in the agenda for TNW Conference, which takes place on June 19-20 in Amsterdam. Tickets for the event are now on sale. Use the code TNWXMEDIA2025 at the check-out to get 30% off the price tag.
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