Google pays $2.7 billion to bring back AI visionary Noam Shazeer
Google has made a substantial investment of $2.7 billion to welcome back Noam Shazeer, a prominent figure in the field of artificial intelligence (AI). Shazeer, who previously worked at Google but departed due to a disagreement, has now returned to the tech giant in a significant move.
The Journey of Noam Shazeer
Noam Shazeer, aged 48, was an early member of Google, joining the company in 2000. With a strong background in software engineering, Shazeer played a pivotal role in the early development of AI at Google. He co-developed a chatbot known as Meena with Daniel De Freitas, another AI expert at Google.
However, a disagreement arose when Shazeer and De Freitas believed in the potential of Meena to revolutionize human interactions, even potentially replacing Google's search engine. Despite their vision, Google's leadership raised concerns about safety and fairness in AI deployment, leading to Shazeer's departure in 2021. Following his exit, Shazeer founded his own AI startup, Character.AI, focusing on chatbot and AI development.
Return to Google
In a surprising turn of events, Google recently struck a major deal with Character.AI, resulting in a $2.7 billion licensing agreement. This agreement not only granted Google access to Character.AI's technology but also brought back Noam Shazeer to Google's AI division, DeepMind.
Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt has commended Shazeer's contributions to AI advancement, recognizing his capability to drive AI development with human-like intelligence. Shazeer's expertise is deemed crucial for Google's future AI projects, particularly in the development of Gemini, the next generation of Google's AI technology.
Shazeer's return to Google not only marks a significant milestone in his career but also signifies a notable financial gain, with reports indicating he earned substantial profits from his stake in Character.AI through the agreement.
Conclusion
This strategic move by Google not only adds valuable intellectual property to its AI portfolio but also positions Shazeer and his team as key players in shaping Google's AI future.
