Google is paying top AI techies to do… absolutely nothing? Here’s the truth

It is typically mentioned that we dwell in a wierd world, the place life appears stranger than fiction– and rightly so. In a weird new improvement, information is that Google is now paying its top techies to do absolutely nothing.
According to a current report by Business Insider, Google is now placing some particular staff— largely from its AI division DeepMind— on paid leaves. Yes, you learn that proper! The thought being that this may cease them from becoming a member of Google’s opponents.
The real-life golden cage
These staff are locked into contracts that forestall them from working elsewhere for months— even up to a 12 months. It’s known as a “noncompete agreement,” and it is getting used as a strategic transfer to block rival firms from getting entry to top AI expertise.
In some circumstances, staff are being positioned on what’s known as “garden leave,” particularly in the UK. They’re nonetheless on the payroll, however they’re not allowed to contribute to any challenge— not even inside Google. During this time, their solely job is to merely sit and don’t work for anybody else.
Calling this out, Microsoft’s AI VP (and former DeepMind director) Nando de Freitas posted on social media: “Don’t sign these contracts. No American corporation should have that much power, especially in Europe. It’s abuse of power.”
Why Google’s doing this
It all comes down to staying forward in the AI improvements race. With OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s personal Gemini fashions pushing the boundaries of what is attainable, each day counts. And in such a aggressive setting, falling behind– even by a couple of months– can imply dropping out on market share, innovation, and even relevance.
So, Google is hedging its bets. By maintaining expertise on maintain, they’re ensuring nobody else can use that brainpower to get forward. It’s much less about what these staff are doing now, and extra about what opponents gained’t find a way to do.
“This really feels like a space race. Being six months ahead can change everything,” a former DeepMind researcher put it.
Is it justified?
But not all staff are okay with being sidelined. Some say it’s hurting their careers.
The backlash is particularly robust in Europe, the place noncompete clauses are beneath authorized scrutiny. Critics argue that these agreements stunt innovation, restrict profession progress, and create a poisonous maintain over the business’s brightest minds.
However, Google justified their transfer by calling it honest. “Our employment contracts are in line with market standards. Given the sensitive nature of our work, we use noncompetes selectively to protect our legitimate interests,” the firm mentioned.
What are your views on Google’s unusual technique to keep forward in the AI race? Do you assume it is proper? What would you do if you’re being paid to do nothing– would you are taking it up, or hand over the supply? Tell us your views in the feedback part beneath.