Google has reportedly spent $2.7 billion to rehire AI expert Noam Shazeer, a deal that highlights the tech giant’s commitment to securing top talent in the rapidly evolving field of artificial intelligence.
Shazeer left Google in 2021 after 21 years at the company to start his own startup called Character.AI, which allows users to interact with chatbots that roleplay as imaginary characters or well-known figures. The official reason for the massive payout was to license Character.AI’s technology, but industry analysts believe Shazeer’s return is the primary motivation.
The deal marks a significant investment by tech giants like Google and Microsoft in securing top AI researchers, as companies compete in an “AI arms race” to stay ahead of the curve. However, investors are growing concerned that these massive investments may not yield tangible returns, potentially inflating a bubble that could burst in the future.
In 2017, Shazeer coauthored a paper that is seen as a key milestone in the development of large language models. He left Google after the company refused to release a chatbot called Meena to the public due to safety concerns, which has raised questions about Google’s priorities and investment strategy.
As companies continue to pour billions into AI research, investors are starting to ask whether these investments will ever see a return. The situation raises tough questions about the value of securing top talent in an increasingly competitive market.
Source: https://futurism.com/the-byte/google-paid-billion-single-ai-researcher-back