In a surprising move that has set Silicon Valley abuzz, Google recently shelled out a staggering $2.7 billion to bring back an old acquaintance: Noam Shazeer, an artificial intelligence (AI) pioneer.
But why did Google pay such an astronomical sum for an ex-employee? Read the news below for details.
Google’s AI Genius Noam Shazeer’s Backstory
Noam Shazeer, a seasoned software engineer, was one of Google’s early hires back in the year 2000. His journey at the tech giant was marked by groundbreaking work in AI research.
However, in 2021, Noam left the company after a disagreement. His request to release a chat bot he had developed alongside colleague Daniel De Freitas was denied.Â
Undeterred, Noam and De Freitas went on to found Character.AI, a startup that quickly gained prominence in the AI landscape, eventually reaching a valuation of $1 billion.
Google India Employee Reunion
Fast forward to the present: Google’s appetite for top AI talent remains insatiable. Noam Shazeer agreed to return, but it came at a hefty price.
The company paid $2.7 billion to license Character.AI’s technology and secure Noam’s expertise.Â
This unique arrangement allowed the company immediate access to Character.AI’s intellectual property without the usual regulatory hurdles associated with a full acquisition.
Strategic Move by Google
Noam’s return to Google is pivotal. It’s widely believed that he is the driving force behind the acquisition.
Eric Schmidt, former CEO of Google, once remarked that Noam could build an AI model operating at human-level intelligence.Â
His reputation precedes him, and the company aims to leverage his expertise in their next-generation AI project, codenamed Gemini.
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