Google's AI lab says curious people who keep learning get hired

Google DeepMind, Google's AI research lab, says a degree alone is not what it wants to see. Lila Ibrahim, its chief AI readiness officer, said at a September media lunch that the lab increasingly looks for people with a record of learning outside the classroom. Her point: several credentials signal curiosity, while one only shows what you studied.

What was said

"One credential will tell me what you've learned, but multiple credentials tell me that you have a learning mindset," Ibrahim said. Degrees still matter, she said, whether the job is researcher, engineer or something else. But extra credentials and experience now carry more weight.

She noted that new graduates often list what they studied outside formal schooling, next to their job and education history. She called those résumés very different from the ones her generation wrote. To recruiters, that detail can show whether someone is curious and ready for a life of lifelong learning.

Why questions matter

Ibrahim also stressed a skill she says schools teach poorly: asking good questions. "Getting answers is super cheap these days, but actually knowing how to ask really good questions is getting harder and harder," she said. She believes varied learning helps people get better at it, even if they are already skilled with AI tools.

She summed up what DeepMind wants in applicants:

• Curiosity.
• Courage to take on something completely new and unpredictable.
• The ability to work in a changing environment and collaborate with people.

Not just tech skills

Ibrahim became chief AI readiness officer at the start of 2026. Before that she was the lab's chief operating officer, a role she held from 2018. She says she created the new job to help close a growing gap between the technology being built and society's readiness for it.

DeepMind founder Demis Hassabis made a similar case in July at a London business conference. Science and computer studies stay important, he said, but philosophy, economics and ethics are also needed. Ibrahim said the lab has hired numerous philosophers, and pairs them with operators who turn ideas into action.

The training gap

Employers may be behind on this. A study of more than 300 million registered learners on Coursera and Udemy found that AI rollout is outpacing the skills people need to use it well. Nearly 75% of organizations have deployed or are piloting AI. Only 18% said most of their workforce took part in AI training over the last year.

What to do

Job seekers can list recent courses and projects, not just degrees and past jobs. Employers can train staff on AI tools and teach them to ask sharper questions of those tools. The article does not say how DeepMind scores résumés, so there is no formula to copy.