Google is reportedly paying some AI staff to do nothing for up to a year to prevent them from joining rival firms. DeepMind, Google’s AI division, is using what Business Insider calls “aggressive” noncompete agreements in the U.K. to retain talent amid intense competition with companies like OpenAI.
These agreements bar some AI staff from working for competitors for as long as a year, according to the Business Insider report. Employees are paid during this period, effectively receiving an extended paid leave.
Though legal, the practice can leave researchers feeling detached from advancements in AI, BI notes. The FTC banned most noncompetes in the U.S. last year, but this ban does not affect DeepMind’s London operations.
Microsoft’s VP of AI posted on X last month, stating that DeepMind employees are contacting him “in despair” about escaping their noncompete clauses:
Nando de Freitas states: “Dear @GoogDeepMind ers, First, congrats on the new impressive models. Every week one of you reaches out to me in despair to ask me how to escape your notice periods and noncompetes. Also asking me for a job because your manager has explained this is the way to get promoted, but I digress. Please don’t reach out to me. Rather reach out to each other. Your leads are responsible for this. Talk to them. @koraykv and @douglas_eck have both said they’re against it, so maybe start there. Above all don’t sign these contracts. No American corporation should have that much power, especially in Europe. It’s abuse of power, which does not justify any end.”
Google, when asked by BI, stated that it uses noncompetes “selectively.” Google did not respond to TechCrunch’s request for comment.
