Google Appoints Noam Shazeer to Lead AI Project Gemini
Google has announced the appointment of Noam Shazeer as a technical lead for its main AI project, Gemini. Shazeer, formerly the head of startup Character.AI and a long-time Google researcher, will co-lead the project alongside Jeff Dean and Oriol Vinyals. The announcement was made in a company memo.
Gemini: Google’s Cutting-Edge AI Models
Gemini is a line of AI models being developed by DeepMind, Google’s AI division. These models are set to be integrated into various Google products, including Search and Pixel smartphones. Shazeer’s return to Google marks a significant addition to the team working on this critical project.
Shazeer’s Return and Licensing Agreement
Shazeer recently rejoined Google after leaving Character.AI, a chatbot company he founded in 2021. The U.S. tech giant reportedly paid billions to bring Shazeer and several other employees back to DeepMind. The deal also includes a licensing agreement with Character. AI. In an email response to the memo, Shazeer expressed his enthusiasm for rejoining Google, stating, “We are thrilled to join the best team on earth building the most valuable technology on earth.”
Shazeer’s Background and Contributions
Shazeer first joined Google in 2000, two years after the company’s inception. He was a co-author of a seminal 2017 research paper that catalyzed the current AI boom. Character.AI, the startup Shazeer founded, has leveraged the advancements pioneered in that paper. The company has raised $193 million and was valued at $1 billion by venture capitalists last year.
Google’s Strategic Decision and Industry Scrutiny
Google was initially in talks to invest hundreds of millions of dollars in Character. AI. However, the company ultimately decided to bring Shazeer back into its fold. This strategic move mirrors similar actions by Amazon and Microsoft, who have also recruited top talent from AI startups. These deals, although not acquisitions, are currently under examination by the Federal Trade Commission. This scrutiny comes at a time when Big Tech companies are facing increasing regulatory challenges. Notably, a U.S. judge recently ruled that Google’s search engine violated antitrust law by spending billions to create an illegal monopoly.
