It’s hard to retain top AI talent amid fierce competition from Google, OpenAI, etc.
Google’s AI division, DeepMind has used “aggressive noncompete agreements” for some AI staff working in the U.K., which bar them from competing for up to one year. Reports
Some people are paid during what is essentially a long stretch of PTO. BI reported that this practice can make researchers feel excluded from the rapid pace of AI development.
The FTC in the U.S. banned most noncompetes a year ago, but this doesn’t apply at DeepMind’s London HQ.
The VP of AI for Microsoft posted on X last month about how DeepMind employees are reaching out to them “in despair” because they can’t escape their noncompete clauses.
First of all, congratulations on the new models.
Each week, one of you contacts me in despair asking me how to get out of your notice periods and noncompetes. Also asking me for a position because your manager told you that this was the way to get promoted. But…
Nando de Fernas (@nandodf March 26, 2020
Google did not respond to a TechCrunch request for comment, but told BI that it uses noncompetes only “selectively.”
