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The inside story of how DeepMind’s experiments in AI safety governance transformed Demis Hassabis from an idealist into a realist

Project Mario - Colossus Loading Search Podcasts Invest Like the Best Business Breakdowns Founder’s Field Guide Joys of Compounding Founders 50X Magazine Newsletter About Us Sponsors Subscribe Log in Copyright © 2026 Colossus. All rights reserved. Feature Project Mario The inside story of how DeepMind’s experiments in AI safety governance transformed Demis Hassabis from an idealist into a realist By Sebastian Mallaby March 2026 ILLUSTRATION BY ELEANOR SHAKESPEARE¹ Subscribe to print for your office or home. The following is an exclusive excerpt adapted from the author’s new bo

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