Shazeer has been brought back through "reverse acqui-hire."
It was in 2021 that Shazeer left Google frustrated after his chatbot, Meena, was shelved.
This deal shows that Google is trying its level best to become strong in the AI space.
Google has brought back one of its former employees Noam Shazeer. He is one of the most influential former employees at Google. He was brought back following a whopping $2.7 billion deal. The deal has become the talk of the town and everyone wants to know what’s the reason behind such a big move. How things pan in the future is yet to be known but it seems like Google is trying its best to make an impact in the AI space.
Shazeer has been brought back through “reverse acqui-hire.” He is one of the main creators behind the key advancements in AI. He also co-authored the 2017 paper “Attention is All You Need”, which laid the foundation for AI tools like ChatGPT and Google’s own Gemini. It was in 2021 that Shazeer left Google frustrated after his chatbot, Meena, was shelved. There were cancers that the content that it might generate can be inappropriate. His departure was seen as a major blow to Google.
Once he left Google, he co-founded Character.ai. This is an innovative platform that allows users to interact with AI-powered versions of celebrities and fictional characters. The platform did become popular but it struggled financially. That’s when Google made a deal to bring Shazeer and his team back under its wing.
The deal clearly highlights how critical AI talent has become. The heavy price again emphasises that. Further, it shows that Google is trying its level best to become strong in the AI space and take on rivals like Microsoft, Amazon, and OpenAI.
But another concern surfaces with this. There are growing concerns that major tech companies are trying to control the AI space. They buy and absorb smaller start-ups which might hamper innovations and lead to monopolisation of the market. Let’s see what changes happen now as Shazeer will rejoin Google.
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Mustafa Khan
Mustafa is new on the block and is a tech geek who is currently working with Digit as a News Writer. He tests the new gadgets that come on board and writes for the news desk. He has found his way with words and you can count on him when in need of tech advice. No judgement. He is based out of Delhi, he’s your person for good photos, good food recommendations, and to know about anything GenZ. View Full Profile
