Google was the dream job in tech. These workers decided to leave anyway.

The article profiles several former Google employees who left the company for reasons tied to the AI boom, changing career priorities, and perceptions that Big Tech is no longer the safest or most rewarding path. Workers cited the lure of startup equity, the ability to move faster and have more direct impact, and concerns that AI-driven restructuring and layoffs can make tenure less protective. Some left to launch AI startups, one to pursue a Ph.D., another to run for Congress, and others to build independent consulting or career coaching businesses. The piece underscores how the AI wave is reshaping labor mobility in tech: even at a prestigious employer like Google, employees increasingly see outside opportunities as more attractive than staying put.