Quoc Le

Co-Founder, Discovery Loop

Search every verified Quoc Le interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote — each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. Quoc Le, co-founder of Discovery Loop and former Google Fellow and Vice President at Google DeepMind, has recently discussed his departure from Google and his new company’s mission to apply AI to scientific and engineering discovery, including drug discovery and material science. In an October 2026 interview as a founding member and judge for the Vietnam AI Stars competition, he described the decision to leave Google as a significant step driven by a belief in this mission, and he advised startup contestants to adopt a more global mindset, noting that AI is more difficult and expensive to build than previous technologies. He also stated that he works on problems that are important to him and encouraged others to be ambitious and take calculated risks. In August 2026 appearances, Le offered perspectives on Vietnam’s role in AI and semiconductors. He suggested that Vietnam should invest more in artificial intelligence than in semiconductors, which he described as very expensive, and he identified AI’s potential as largely untapped. He also advocated for open-source approaches as a long-term direction for Vietnam, arguing that they foster knowledge exchange and help attract talent. In a separate conversation, he discussed the qualities of scientists and innovators, saying that innovators build on scientific curiosity by seeking large-scale impact, and he noted that formal credentials like a college degree are less important than talent, interesting questions, and dedication.