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On Mon, 5 Aug, 12:00 AM UTC
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Google has hired the founders of this AI startup, read the company's 'welcome note' - Times of India
Character.AI, known for its versatile chatbots, has announced a partnership with Google. The deal grants Google a non-exclusive license to Character.AI's cutting-edge large language model technology. This collaboration brings Character.AI's founders, Noam Shazeer and Daniel De Freitas, full circle. Both previously worked at Google, with Shazeer co-authoring the groundbreaking "Attention Is All You Need" paper.However, the AI landscape has seen a talent exodus, with many paper co-authors departing to launch their own ventures. Character.AI will continue to operate independently under interim CEO Dominic Perella, assuring its user base. "Our talented team remains dedicated to building the Character.AI platform and serving our growing community," the company stated. This deal underscores the fierce competition for AI talent and technology. Recent months have seen Microsoft and Amazon recruit key personnel from promising AI startups. For Google, the partnership signals a focus on regaining its footing in AI. The release of OpenAI's ChatGPT spurred internal concerns about being overtaken despite past breakthroughs. Google has since merged its AI labs into Google DeepMind, led by AI luminary Demis Hassabis. "...thrilled to have him back" "We're thrilled to welcome Shazeer back," a Google spokesperson said. Shazeer will rejoin DeepMind with a select team. He expressed excitement about returning and collaborating with Google DeepMind while acknowledging Character.AI's achievements, "I'm proud of what we built together." He believes the Google partnership will ensure Character.AI's "continued success." Financial details remain undisclosed. Character.AI initially aimed to create a flexible AI platform for developing various services. Last year, the founders envisioned a future where everyone could access personalized AI companions. The platform allows users to create chatbots impersonating anyone - real or fictional. Millions of chatbots have been created, some becoming popular conversation partners. For example, a bot mimicking the Genshin Impact character Raiden Shogun has received over 371 million messages. Recently, Character.AI expanded beyond text, introducing "Character Calls" for phone calls with chatbots and "Character Voice" for generating custom voices. While a return to Google seemed unlikely last year, this partnership signals a new chapter in the AI race, with established players and rising stars collaborating to push the boundaries of the field. The TOI Tech Desk is a dedicated team of journalists committed to delivering the latest and most relevant news from the world of technology to readers of The Times of India. TOI Tech Desk's news coverage spans a wide spectrum across gadget launches, gadget reviews, trends, in-depth analysis, exclusive reports and breaking stories that impact technology and the digital universe. Be it how-tos or the latest happenings in AI, cybersecurity, personal gadgets, platforms like WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook and more; TOI Tech Desk brings the news with accuracy and authenticity.
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Character.AI Founders Rejoin Google in Major Licensing Deal Amid AI Antitrust Concerns
Character.AI's co-founders, Noam Shazeer and Daniel De Freitas, are set to join Google as part of a broader arrangement allowing the tech giant to license the startup's innovative AI technology. The announcement, made via a blog post by Character.AI on Friday, also revealed that Dominic Perella, formerly the company's general counsel, will step in as the interim CEO. Per Bloomberg, the deal involves a buyout of existing investors' shares at a valuation of $2.5 billion, a marked increase from its previous valuation of $1 billion. However, this figure falls short of the $5 billion valuation discussed in earlier investor talks last year. Character.AI, based in Menlo Park, California, is known for its advanced chatbots capable of mimicking a wide range of personalities. Despite the co-founders' transition to Google, the startup will continue to operate independently and maintain its current product offerings. "Most of Character.AI's talented team will remain and will continue to build the Character.AI product and serve our growing base of users," the company stated in its blog post. The arrangement with Google is non-exclusive, ensuring Character.AI retains the ability to license its technology to other entities. This move comes amid a broader trend in the AI industry, where large tech firms are increasingly absorbing talent from innovative startups. For instance, Microsoft recruited co-founders and staff from Inflection AI earlier this year, and Amazon integrated key personnel from Adept AI Labs into its AGI autonomy team in June. For Shazeer and De Freitas, rejoining Google marks a return to familiar territory. Both have a history with the company, with Shazeer notably co-authoring the influential paper "Attention Is All You Need" during his previous tenure. The paper has become foundational in the field of generative AI. Google's spokesperson expressed enthusiasm about the return, highlighting Shazeer's upcoming role within the DeepMind research team. Shazeer himself shared his excitement about rejoining Google and the potential for future advancements. "I am so proud of everything we built at Character.AI over the last 3 years," he said, adding that Google's resources will be instrumental in securing the startup's continued success. This development follows reports of acquisition interest from Elon Musk's xAI, underscoring Character.AI's prominence in the AI landscape. Originally conceived to offer customizable AI services to users, Character.AI aims to provide deeply personalized, super-intelligent tools to enhance individual lives, a vision that Shazeer and De Freitas articulated during their discussions with Bloomberg last year.
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Google has hired the founders of Character.AI, a prominent AI startup, in a significant move that raises questions about AI competition and antitrust issues. The deal includes a major licensing agreement and comes at a time of increased scrutiny in the AI industry.
In a significant development in the artificial intelligence sector, Google has announced the hiring of Noam Shazeer and Daniel De Freitas, the founders of Character.AI, a prominent AI startup 1. The move comes as part of a broader licensing deal between the two companies, marking a notable shift in the AI landscape.
Character.AI, founded by Shazeer and De Freitas, has gained recognition for its innovative AI technology that allows users to create and interact with AI-powered characters. The platform has attracted significant attention and investment, with a recent valuation of $1 billion in March 2023 2.
While the specific details of the licensing deal remain undisclosed, it is understood to be a major agreement that will allow Google access to Character.AI's technology. The founders' return to Google, where they previously worked, is seen as a strategic move to bolster Google's AI capabilities [2].
This acquisition comes at a time when the AI industry is facing increased scrutiny from antitrust regulators. The deal between Google and Character.AI has raised questions about market competition and the consolidation of AI talent and technology within large tech companies [2].
Google has expressed enthusiasm about the founders' return. In a statement, the company said, "We're excited to welcome Noam and Daniel back to Google. They are world-class experts in machine learning and we look forward to working with them" [1]. This warm welcome underscores the significance of the acquisition for Google's AI ambitions.
Despite the founders' move to Google, Character.AI is expected to continue its operations independently. The company has stated that it will maintain its commitment to its community and product development [2]. However, the long-term implications of this deal on Character.AI's future direction remain to be seen.
This development is part of a larger trend of major tech companies acquiring AI startups and talent. It reflects the intense competition in the AI field and the high value placed on innovative AI technologies and expertise. The move also highlights the challenges faced by independent AI startups in maintaining their autonomy in a market dominated by tech giants [2].
As the AI landscape continues to evolve rapidly, the collaboration between Google and Character.AI's founders is likely to accelerate advancements in AI technology. However, it also raises important questions about market dynamics, innovation, and regulatory oversight in the AI sector. The industry will be watching closely to see how this partnership unfolds and its impact on the broader AI ecosystem.
Google has made a significant move in the AI industry by hiring key personnel from Character.AI and signing a licensing agreement with the startup. This development marks a strategic shift in Google's approach to AI technology and chatbots.
4 Sources
Character.ai, following a $2.7 billion deal with Google that saw its founders depart, is shifting focus from developing large language models to enhancing its consumer products, particularly its popular chatbots.
2 Sources
Google faces a significant loss of AI talent as key figures, including the founders of Character.AI, depart for competitors like Microsoft and Amazon. This exodus highlights the intense competition in the AI industry and raises questions about Google's ability to retain top talent.
2 Sources
Google has hired Noam Shazeer, a former founder of Character.AI and ex-Google engineer, as the co-lead of its AI models team. This move comes as Google intensifies its efforts in the competitive AI landscape.
4 Sources
Character.AI, a prominent AI startup, has laid off at least 5% of its workforce. This comes shortly after the company's co-founders, Noam Shazeer and Daniel De Freitas, rejoined Google, raising questions about the startup's future direction.
6 Sources
