
Google has made headlines by acquiring Noam Shazeer, a prominent figure in the AI sector, in what is being described as one of the most expensive acquihires in Silicon Valley history, reportedly costing $2.5 billion. This move comes as part of Google's strategy to regain AI talent it has lost, particularly from Character AI, a company known for its advanced large language model (LLM) infrastructure. Alongside this acquisition, Google has also signed a licensing deal with Character AI. Meanwhile, the Chinese generative AI startup Moonshot has raised over $300 million in a funding round led by major investors including Tencent and Alibaba, bringing its valuation to approximately $3.3 billion after a previous $1 billion raise earlier this year. These developments highlight the ongoing competition and shifts within the AI landscape, as tech giants vie for top talent and innovative technologies.
Big tech seems to have found a new way to acquire AI talent, as we've seen over the last six months in the case of @inflectionAI (Microsoft), @AdeptAILabs (Amazon) and now @character_ai (Google) Dive deeper on this topic with Wing Partner @tanayj on his Substack ⬇️… https://t.co/H9AW9NoUx0
In a plot twist worthy of HBO's Silicon Valley, Google made a move in the AI world – but not in the way you might expect last week. Last week, Google inked a deal with chatbot virtuoso @character_ai to acquire?, acqui-hire?, license? their tech and their founders, I don't know… https://t.co/3WuKrP6Nbq
Market rumors suggest that @TencentGlobal's $300 million #investment in Chinese #AI startup #MoonshotAI has elevated its valuation to $3.3 billion. https://t.co/2UWGxEoOpJ


