Google’s AI subsidiary, DeepMind, is reportedly employing aggressive noncompete agreements to retain critical AI personnel based in the United Kingdom, paying some employees full salaries for up to a year while effectively barring them from working at rival companies. The measure comes amid fierce competition from other major technology firms, including OpenAI and Microsoft, in an effort to prevent valuable researchers and engineers from bolstering competitors’ capabilities.
This practice, effectively providing paid leave without any duties assigned, has drawn scrutiny and discontent among affected staff. Many researchers express frustration that such prolonged inactivity risks leaving them sidelined during a period of rapid progress in artificial intelligence development and innovation.
Unlike in the U.S., where strict bans on most noncompete clauses were put forth by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) last year, British-based DeepMind faces no similar regulatory barriers, allowing it discretion in implementing these measures. According to recent reports, several employees experiencing these contractual barriers have resorted to privately approaching executives at rival companies, including Microsoft’s AI vice president Nando de Freitas, for advice on circumventing their restrictions. De Freitas publicly acknowledged these requests and expressed sympathy for the workers caught in difficult contractual situations.
While declining to provide a statement on this report directly, Google previously commented that they employ noncompete clauses “selectively.”
