Maintaining AI talent is tough amidst the fierce competition between Google, Openai and other heavyweights.
DeepMind, Google’s AI division, relies on some AI staff in the UK to use “active” non-competitive contracts, banning them from working for competitors for up to a year.
Some are paid during this period, and some are equivalent to long PTOs. However, this practice allows researchers to feel left out of the rapid pace of AI progress, BI reports.
In the US, the FTC banned most non-competitors last year, but that’s not the case with Deepmind’s London headquarters.
Last month, Microsoft’s AI VP posted to X about how “desperate” deep staff is reaching out to him about his challenge of evading non-competitive clauses.
Google did not respond to requests for comment from TechCrunch, but told BI it was “selectively” using non-conflicts.