Manifold Omar Shams: AI Founder and Google AI Agent Lead — #89
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Jul 3, 2025 
Omar Shams, an AI engineer at Google and former DeepMind expert, shares his journey from theoretical physics to pioneering AI technology. He recalls Elon Musk's attempt to buy DeepMind and discusses the development of AutoWiki, an AI tool for code documentation. The conversation delves into talent acquisition battles in tech, highlighting the competition for top AI minds amid rising productivity. Shams also explores the intersection of physics and AI, uncovering fascinating insights about scaling laws and the future of AI agents.
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Physics to AI Journey
- Omar Shams transitioned from theoretical physics to AI, starting with a music recommendation engine job at Hi-Fi.
- His physics background deeply shaped his analytical approach before fully committing to AI startups.
Physics Ignites Passion
- Understanding special relativity can ignite lifelong passion for physics due to its visual and conceptual impact.
- Omar experienced physics as an almost magical discovery during high school that captivated his imagination.
DeepMind London Experience
- Omar worked at DeepMind in London sitting near Debra Sinbenshi in 2018-2019.
- He missed attending a talk by Steve Hsu on genomics despite being in London at the time.