Google's boomerang year: 20% of AI software engineers hired in 2025 were ex-employees

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With the AI talent wars heating up between companies like OpenAI, Meta

and Anthropic, one way Google

has been competing is by aggressively rehiring former employees.

Some 20% of software engineers working on artificial intelligence that Google hired in 2025 were so-called boomerang employees, an increase from prior years, CNBC has learned. A Google spokesperson confirmed the statistic remains accurate as of December, and said the company saw a jump in the number of AI researchers coming from major competitors compared to 2024.